The Government has approved a €2 increase in the licence fee to RTÉ which will bring the annual payment to €160 from the beginning of next year.
The move was recommended to Government by the Minister for Communications, Eamon Ryan, who described it as a modest increase.
Mr Ryan said the measure would increase licence revenues to RTÉ by around €2.8 million each year and he pointed out that it had been agreed by the Government following an independent review by the consultants, Indecon, of RTÉ's performance in 2006.
Mr Ryan said the review was undertaken each year to assess RTÉ's output commitments and its progress in change management.
"In addition to the licence fee, my Department will be reinvigorating the current annual review process," said Mr Ryan.
"There will be increased focus on value for money, cost management and more precise performance indicators. I am confident that RTÉ will provide the Irish viewer with good reason for this increase," he said.
The decision was welcomed last night the chairperson of the RTÉ Authority, Mary Finan. "On behalf of RTÉ, I welcome the Minister's recognition of recent successes in the level of indigenous broadcasting and can assure him that the the development of homegrown talent and programming remains our priority.
"RTÉ looks forward to working with the Minister and his department in reinvigorating the current annual review process. I share the Minister's confidence that RTÉ will continue to provide the audience with value for money," she said.
