Concern raised that RTÉ are failing to advertise that licence fee must be paid

Mr Griffin questioned whether a conscious decision was made not to try to stem the loss of revenue from the loss in TV payments.

Mr Griffin said the Media Committee has now asked for all documents relating to how RTÉ has tried to encourage people to keep paying the TV licence, including the level of advertising and awareness campaigning it has carried out since the controversy around Ryan Tubridy’s payments first erupted.

He suggested to colleagues that “a cynic might think” that “a conscious decision” was made not to counter the significant loss in tv licence fees, as it would force the Government to bail it out.

Mr Griffin told his party colleagues that if it is found that this had been the case “heads would have to roll”.

Mr Carrigy said that there needed to be efforts from RTÉ to deal with the falling licence fee payments, particularly highlighting the potential impact on taxpayers.

One party source said that until RTÉ makes a concerted effort to deal with falling licence fees, the Government should refuse to provide additional emergency funding.

It is understood that Minister Paschal Donohoe told the meeting that RTÉ has a responsibility to ensure that the TV licence is collected. He said any extra funding provided to RTÉ is conditional.

Pointing to €17.4m in lost revenue, Mr Griffin said these losses are now 50 times greater than the amount of money at the heart of the initial controversy.

He told the meeting that when RTÉ began to see a drop off in TV licence payments it should have stressed through renewed advertising that the fee not only goes to the state broadcaster but to small production companies and others in the sector who work across the country.

There were also suggestions that the Government should raise the matter with the RTÉ board chair, Siún Ní Raghallaigh.