RTÉ to use 25% of State funding on independent productions

The amendment states that 25% of the overall State funding for RTÉ would have to go towards content commission from the independent production sector.

RTÉ will be required to spend a quarter of its State budget on independent productions under measures due to be brought forward by the arts minister on Tuesday.

Patrick O'Donovan is to bring forward six amendments to the Broadcast Bill for Cabinet sign-off, including changes that will set down stipulations on how the national broadcaster spends it's funding allocation.

The amendment states that 25% of the overall State funding for RTÉ would have to go towards content commission from the independent production sector.

Coimisiún na Meán will also have the power to increase this percentage after three-year reviews, subject to ministerial approval.

Mr O'Donovan will bring an amendment that would prevent the regulator from introducing a so-called "Netflix charge" on streaming services without seeking the permission of the minister.

Meanwhile, Cabinet is set to approve strict new laws that would effectively ban tourist letting in large towns and cities on a long-term or permanent basis.

The new laws, which are being brought forward by enterprise minister Peter Burke, will allow for the creation of a short-term lets register, to be operated by Fáilte Ireland.

However, the Department of Housing will be responsible for the individual regulations governing short-term lets across the country, which will be set out as a new national planning statement.

90-day limit

The Irish Examiner previously reported that the Government was preparing regulations that would prevent homeowners from letting out properties to tourists for more than 90 days a year if they lived in an area with a population more than 10,000. It is understood a final decision on regulations will be made at a later date.

The new laws will require online agencies, such as Airbnb, to provide monthly reports on the number of short-term lets in a given area. This will include contact details of the particular host, the property’s address, and the number of nights it was rented out.

Fáilte Ireland will be permitted to share this information with planning authorities, allowing rules to be enforced.

Housing minister James Browne will bring the revised National Planning Framework to Cabinet and a separate update on the Land Development Agency’s potential for housing development on public lands in 2025.

The report breaks down publicly owned sites into how much investment would be required on them to develop housing — from least constrained to moderately and significantly constrained.

Higher education minister James Lawless will seek approval to align education supports for Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection with those for Irish citizens.

Ukrainians who have fled the war have been supported through a range of measures, including the Temporary Tuition Fee Support Scheme and a financial stipend for full-time higher education beneficiaries of temporary protection. However, supports will now be brought into line with that of Irish students.