RTÉ has lobbied the Government 111 times since 2015, more than any other media outlet, according to the official lobbying register.
The data, which is published on lobbying.ie, lists dozens of lobbying entries from the national broadcaster relating primarily to its funding model, including repeated calls for licence fee reform and Government support.
One entry describes a meeting “to discuss the need for Licence Fee reform based on the high cost of collection and evasion levels in comparison to European Benchmarks.”
Another entry refers to the “exploration of manifesto position on public service broadcasting policy,” and states the meeting was “attended by: Brian Dalton, MD Corporate Development, RTÉ; Vivienne Flood, Corporate Communications Manager, RTÉ; Claire Power, TD, Labour.”
In total, RTÉ’s lobbying efforts outnumber those of all other Irish-based media companies, including private broadcasters, publishers and online platforms.
By comparison, Mediahuis Ireland, which owns the Irish Independent, the Sunday World and the Belfast Telegraph, logged 30 lobbying efforts since 2015.
These include attempts “to urge progress of the Defamation Amendment Bill,” and “to highlight the challenges facing Irish media and identify potential action points.”
The company also sought to “raise awareness of the importance of independent media in Ireland and urge Government support to address industry challenges.”
Sky Ireland recorded 43 lobbying entries, while Bauer Media, which owns Newstalk, 98FM and Today FM, logged 41.
TG4, the Irish-language broadcaster, lobbied the Government 33 times over the period.
Dublin City FM logged 21 entries, Local Ireland – representing the Regional Newspapers and Printers Association of Ireland – registered 42, and NBCUniversal, the US media company which owns Sky News, registered 13.
The Irish Times, by contrast, reported just three lobbying interactions.
One entry by the Irish Times describes an attempt “to inform the Minister of concerns about the operation of the Press Publishers Right as transposed into Irish law and to raise awareness of concerns about the implications of AI for publishers.”
Lobbying efforts are registered under the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015, which requires those seeking to influence public policy or funding to publicly declare their activity.
The broadcaster has faced growing political pressure in recent years over its funding, amid falling public trust and a sharp decline in TV licence fee compliance. In response, it has called for new models of funding to be considered.
In 2023, a Government-appointed expert group recommended replacing the licence fee with direct exchequer funding, a proposal that has proven politically divisive. Ministers have yet to make a final decision.