Fionnán Sheahan: Reports on RTÉ are last chance for Catherine Martin to save face on TV licence saga

Media Minister has got expert reviews on her desk, but there’s no rush to make a decision

Media Minister Catherine Martin. Photo: PA

Fionnán Sheahan

Simon Harris and Catherine Martin met up last week. The agenda was ostensibly to discuss issues in her multi-faceted Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. No doubt the Taoiseach had to feign interest in the basic income for the arts and other worthy ventures. But the real purpose of the meeting was to discuss where things are at with RTÉ.

The Media Minister said the reports she had commissioned were due very soon and she went through the two options available on future funding: dropping the licence to replace it with exchequer funding or keeping the licence in a different shape that collects more money.