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Some 3,428 fewer households renewed their licence fee when compared with the same time last year. There was also a hefty fall off in new licence fee sales, which were down almost 40 per cent on the previous year.

RTÉ has found itself embroiled in a drama that would be guaranteed to be a ratings winner had it been an actual television show but instead the scandal is centred around the state broadcaster, its star presenter and senior management.

On June 22nd, it emerged that RTÉ disclosed hidden payments of €345,000 to Ryan Tubridy, who hosted The Late Late Show and a flagship radio programme, in addition to his published salary between 2017 and 2020.

Quilty’s Marty Morrissey has even been under the spotlight. On July 6th, the Gaelic Games correspondent confirmed he was the mystery RTÉ star involved in an ad-hoc arrangement with Renault. He swiftly issued a lengthy statement to apologise. The Marty incident came to light following questioning from Clare Senator Timmy Dooley (FF) during a sitting of the Oireachtas Media Committee.

Reacting to the drop in television licence renewals, Clare TD, Michael McNamara (IND) stated, “I don’t see a licence fee being sustainable any longer. I don’t think you can get rid of the licence fee overnight but I think it can be wound down, RTÉ would be in huge difficulty, it is going to take time and it will have to have a lead in time, I don’t see the status quo continuing and I don’t think it is feasible. I didn’t think it was feasible anyway but this is the catalyst for the change which I think was inevitable in any event”.