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Ministers still at loggerheads over RTÉ funding as Martin says broadcasting tax not ‘palatable’

Donohoe said he does not believe the TV licence fee funding should be scrapped.

MEDIA MINISTER CATHERINE Martin has said there should be a “five to seven year ringfenced” funding for RTÉ. 

Here comments come amidst disagreement in government over how the national broadcaster should be funded into the future, with Martin stating she is in favour of direct Exchequer funding. 

This idea is being opposed by Tánaiste Micheál Martin, Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe and outgoing Finance Minister Michael McGrath.

Donohoe said earlier today that he does not believe the TV licence fee should be scrapped and replaced with direct Exchequer funding for RTÉ.

He said the government will have to make up the shortfall and that ultimately, money which could be used for social welfare increases or childcare would go to the national broadcaster to fill the licence fee gap.

“We shouldn’t let that happen,” he said.

However, when Donohoe’s comments were posed to Martin, she disputed his take on the matter, stating:

“I don’t see the argument of how it was can compete on an annual budget, because what would be proposed, as the Future of the Media Commission recommended, is that it would be multi-annual. I would see that as being a five to seven year ringfenced amount that would be recommended by an independent regulator,” said the media minister. 

She went on to say the alternative is the reform of the licence fee to a broadcasting tax, which would be collected by Revenue, which she believed would be not be “palatable” to the public. 

 

 

In his argument not retain the revenue collected through the TV licence fee, Donohoe said it brings in “valuable money that we should not lose”. 

“The majority of people still pay the television licence. They pay it out of a recognition of the work that RTE does and its value,” he said. 

If licence fee revenue is lost, the government will have to find tens of millions of Euro to plug the hole, said the minister.

“I don’t believe we should be abolishing a charge that the majority of people are still paying,” he added. 

A decision on the future funding for RTÉ is due to be made before the summer. 

Donohoe said the government will ulitimately have to reach an agreement in relation to the issue in the next few weeks. 

“I have heard differing views from many people who are involved in this process. But we do need to make a decision on it and we will,” he said. 

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    Mute Ciaran
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    Mar 22nd 2025, 4:39 PM

    Stop throwing women’s sport down our throats. If we wanted to watch , we would. The reason why people don’t watch women’s sport in general compared to men’s is because men’s sport simply
    Is better to watch and at a higher level. We all know women aren’t as fast, strong, skillful or aggressive as men. It’s the difference between watching the Ireland u14s and senior team. Different league and entertainment and let’s not cod ourselves thinking otherwise .

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    Mute mark madigan
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    Mar 22nd 2025, 4:57 PM

    @Ciaran:
    Ciarán keep your g string on. If you don’t want to watch it switch channels you sad little man.

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    Mute Me Me
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    Mar 22nd 2025, 5:18 PM

    @Ciaran: Men’s rugby is turning into a defence dominated dirge-fest. But in general your comment is sexist, ignorant and misogynistic.

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    Mute Stiles
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    Mar 22nd 2025, 5:30 PM

    @Ciaran: but what about foxy boxing?

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    Mute Sinead Cosgrave
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    Mar 22nd 2025, 7:43 PM

    @Ciaran: here’s how it goes Ciaran women pay the TV licence, women watch women’s sport, it’s called equality so Ciúnas please … oh and I’d report the person who forced you to watch to yhe Garda if I were you !!

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    Mute king kong
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    Mar 22nd 2025, 7:56 PM

    @Ciaran: Relax lad no one is forcing you to do anything. If women’s sport upsets you that much why did you read the article?

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    Mute Ciaran
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    Mar 22nd 2025, 9:42 PM

    @Me Me: classic modern society, I don’t like what someone else has said so I’ll call names .. what I said is factual , women are weaker, slower and less agile than men in general in our species and in most animals. Here, let me find a junior cert biology book so you can better understand, princess … “me me” seems a little bit self entitled …

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    Mute Ciaran
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    Mar 22nd 2025, 9:44 PM

    @king kong: I didn’t read article .. nobody reads the articles here Einstein … people come here for the comments .. duh

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    Mute Ciaran
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    Mar 22nd 2025, 9:46 PM

    @Sinead Cosgrave: women don’t watch women’s sport. Ask a woman on the street to name 4/5 female rugby players … see how many she gets.. then ask to make 4/5 male rugby players… and you wonder why women get less money in sport ? Rookies

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    Mute Ciaran
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    Mar 22nd 2025, 9:50 PM

    @mark madigan: I don’t wear g strings .. sorry to ruin your fantasy fruitcake ..and I would bet easily that I’m bigger than you haha

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    Mute Donal Hickey
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    Mar 22nd 2025, 10:08 PM

    @Ciaran: womens gaa was a lot more entertaining than the shite the men served up last year

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    Mute derek claffey
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    Mar 23rd 2025, 1:27 AM

    @Ciaran: calm down there a lil bit C, its a report on a women’s international game, nothing more, nothing less. It wasn’t obligatory to read for you to read, or indeed vent your spleen on it.
    Any of us that were lucky enough to have daughters who played sports cheered them on and supported them as much as we did with our sons.
    It’s obvious you have a certain distain towards women’s sports, simple solution for ya, if it obviously antagonises you so much, don’t watch it, don’t read about it and above all dont……………… (fill in as appropriate.)

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    Mute Alan d
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    Mar 23rd 2025, 6:56 AM

    @mark madigan: Watching women’s Ruby is terrible . Simple

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    Mute Me Me
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    Mar 23rd 2025, 7:06 AM

    @Ciaran:

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    Mute Me Me
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    Mar 23rd 2025, 7:12 AM

    @Ciaran: I didn’t call anybody name. I said your COMMENT was sexist and misogynistic. Why? For saying that women are not as skillful or aggressive as men. And your comments are incorrect about most animals too. I would suggest you read beyond a JC text book. Try the biologist Lucy Cooke.

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    Mute Ciaran
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    Mar 23rd 2025, 10:03 AM

    @Me Me: women aren’t as skill full or aggressive as men.. it’s a fact.. let’s have the Irish men v Irish women’s rugby and see what happens.. USA American womens soccer team lost to Dallas FC under 15 boys.. Serena Williams said she wouldn’t even be ranked in top 100 of men’s players… and she is the greatest women’s player of all time.

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    Mute Sinead Cosgrave
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    Mar 23rd 2025, 10:23 AM

    @Ciaran: I do

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    Mute Me Me
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    Mar 23rd 2025, 10:34 AM

    @Ciaran: Put a heavyweight boxer against a flyweight. Does that mean the heavyweight is more skullful?? More aggressive? No, just more powerful.

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    Mute Ciaran
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    Mar 23rd 2025, 10:46 AM

    @Me Me: why do women not play with / against men in most sports ? Because it’s an unfair competition and they can’t compete directly , and that’s ok. We all know it even if you dont.. stop living in denial princess

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    Mute Me Me
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    Mar 23rd 2025, 12:48 PM

    @Ciaran: Compete separately because of disparity in size and strength.

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    Mute john kenny
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    Mar 22nd 2025, 4:03 PM

    Steady improvement over the past 2 six Nations. Really gutsy competitive performance compared to the previous beatings against this excellent French side .

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    Mute John Morrissey
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    Mar 22nd 2025, 5:14 PM

    Cracking game, highly entertaining, let’s stop slagging the ladies! Will be cheering you on in cork!

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    Mute Alan
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    Mar 22nd 2025, 7:22 PM

    @John Morrissey: and I’m sure women couldn’t give a flying f…k what men think about their game. Great to see women’s sports and their supporters forging on

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    Mute William Jennings
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    Mar 22nd 2025, 4:05 PM

    Look, there’s some improvements it must be said but the team still aren’t the complete package. Granted, France are probably the third best team in the world at women’s rugby, but there were so many errors from Ireland inside the French 22. Accuracy from them kicking tee was the difference between the two teams. The French fly-half was 5/5 while the Irish fly-half O’Brien was 0/4 and left 9 points out on the field. I am optimistic though because the team is in a much better place than 2 years ago when they finished bottom of the Six Nations and got beaten by France 53-3 and the victory against the All Blacks in the Autumn Internationals last year.

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    Mute Brian I
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    Mar 22nd 2025, 4:08 PM

    The place kicking was embarrassingly bad, and ultimately very costly.

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    Mute Sinead Cosgrave
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    Mar 22nd 2025, 4:10 PM

    @Brian I: totally agree, decision making wasn’t great either.

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    Mute qffaffaf affrafrfraf
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    Mar 22nd 2025, 3:42 PM

    pathetic performance, lets stop with the codding

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    Mute Deano74
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    Mar 22nd 2025, 3:51 PM

    @qffaffaf affrafrfraf: yea, admittedly I didn’t see it,but a 27-15 scoreline kind of contradicts the headline.

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    Mute Sinead Cosgrave
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    Mar 22nd 2025, 4:09 PM

    @Deano74: they got the final try close to the end of the game, it was close up to the 70th minute

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    Mute Deano74
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    Mar 22nd 2025, 5:28 PM

    @Sinead Cosgrave: fair enough,I didn’t see it.

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    Mute Toca Stories
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    Mar 22nd 2025, 5:55 PM

    Ireland really good except for their kicking. That was the difference between the teams. You won’t win if you can’t kick any of your points and have to keep kicking to the corner cause you can’t convert penalties. The French kicker was able to convert everything so it can’t be the conditions.

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    Mute David craddock
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    Mar 22nd 2025, 5:29 PM

    Ireland go close ? What game were you watching?

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    Mute Sinead Cosgrave
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    Mar 22nd 2025, 7:45 PM

    @David craddock: did u watch it ?

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    Mute Tom McBride
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    Mar 22nd 2025, 7:44 PM

    Hardly close, 2 scores.

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    Mute John Moore
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    Mar 22nd 2025, 9:17 PM

    27-15 isn’t really close. Just another comprehensive defeat.

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    Mute Toca Stories
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    Mar 23rd 2025, 12:43 AM

    @John Moore: If Ireland could convert pointsot would have been level. Not comprehensive at all

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    Mute Keth 417
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    Mar 22nd 2025, 5:04 PM

    Holy Gods! All that bashing, tumbling and ggggnasshing and trashing As a man, I wouldn’t even do that…but I’m a coward and a weakling. A shrinking violet, I tell you!

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    Mute William O leary
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    Mar 23rd 2025, 8:14 PM

    nobody cares

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    Mute offside again
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    Mar 23rd 2025, 12:28 AM

    I wouldn’t like to come up against some of the women out there. Ok, maybe. Ok yes ; I wouldn’t say no to being fought over in the ruck … ahem … Very entertaining game !

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