RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst has dismissed suggestions the broadcaster is pursuing additional public money beyond the Irish government's existing €725 million three-year commitment, as licence fee revenue continues to erode.
Appearing before the Dáil Public Accounts Committee on Wednesday, Bakhurst said tighter cost controls and a revised commercial strategy had ended a run of deficits, though he acknowledged the broadcaster is "not in the business of being cheap as chips" while it tightens its belt. RTÉ projects a need for €54.79 million in supplementary state funding for 2026, up from €41.3 million last year, as television licence sales have fallen 19 per cent since 2022, with evasion estimated at roughly 18 per cent.
Bakhurst appealed for a comparable multi-annual arrangement when the current settlement is reviewed in 2027. An audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General began on 1 July.