RTÉ is set to be funded into the future by a mixture of the existing TV licence fee and a "multi-annual" State payment as part of a long-awaited plan set to go to the Cabinet next Wednesday.The details of the plan were discussed by officials from the Department of Finance, Department of Public Expenditure and Department of Communications, as Taoiseach Simon Harris said there is a "middle way" to resolving the issue.Government sources have confirmed that, as part of the plan, the existing TV licence fee of €160 will be retained, although they would not clarify if it will continue to be collected in the same way.In addition, a "multi-annual" stream of funding from the exchequer will also be provided to RTÉ.While the amount of money provided and the number of years in question have not been confirmed, it is understood that Minister for Media Catherine Martin pushed for any exchequer funding to be multi-annual to make sure RTÉ is financially secure into the future.The Cabinet has been divided over how to fund public service broadcasting for a number of months, with Ms Martin initially seeking a model which would see RTÉ entirely funded by the exchequer.However, Tánaiste and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has been among the most vocal opponents of such a plan, arguing it would potentially put the broadcaster's independence at risk as it would require Government budget funding each year.It is understood that the planned multi-annual nature of the plan due to go to the Cabinet on Wednesday is an attempt to avoid this issue.Asked about RTÉ's future finances at the European Political Community summit in England, Taoiseach Simon Harris indicated a mixed funding model of TV licence and exchequer funding.He said: "I've said there's two ways of funding public service broadcasting in my view, there's that you go with some form of reformed licence fee model, or you go with direct exchequer fee funding."But that's kind of a straw man way of looking at it. Perhaps there's a way in the middle.""I've lain down some principles that are very important to me, I don't want to see any taxpayer having to pay more in terms of a licence fee that they are today, I want to have an understanding as to what we're funding in terms of public service broadcasting."I want to see how the excellent public service broadcasting done by RTÉ can be supported but also a recognition public service broadcasting also happens by other outlets, be they independent television outlets, be they local radio or local media, they're some of the key things."And then the fourth and it's really important to me this one, I want to see the model being sustainable, I don't want to see a Government do something that just kind of looks like grand we've sorted public service broadcasting for a few months."I want to know that whatever funding model is in place is durable and can be long-lasting and I think all of those principles can be met," Mr Harris said.The Taoiseach also said he hopes to bring "a finality" to the issue next week", when it is expected the RTÉ plan will go to the final Cabinet meeting before the summer break on Wednesday.He said: "I hope we can bring a finality to this next week, I'd like to see that happen, it's been this saga has gone on for far too long."Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central Thomas Gould said that retaining the TV licence fee was a "bad decision"."We now have a situation whereby a levy on households that has been described by those in government as regressive and outdated will be retained," he said.He called it "a shocking indictment of this government's failure to act".Mr Gould called for RTÉ to come under the remit of the Comptroller and Auditor General to avoid "another scandal caused by this government burying their head in the sand"."The reality is that this decision will mean we will still see vulnerable ordinary people dragged through the courts system for non-payment of a regressive levy," he added.
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