RTE is facing a serious financial crisis after new figures show TV licence fee renewals dropped by 25 per cent in the first week of July.
The figures released to Fine Gael TD Brendan Griffin show 3,428 fewer households renewed their licence fee when compared with the same time last year.
There was also a significant fall off in new TV licence sales, which were down almost 40% on the previous year.
Deputy Griffin says unless urgent action is taken RTE could be facing a funding crisis.
There was also a significant fall off in new licence fee sales, which were down almost 40% on the previous year.
June saw a more modest decline in total licence fee sales of a little over 2 per cent, with much of the drama playing out in July.
The figures mean a combined fall in licence fee revenue through June and the first week of July of almost 934,000 euro.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has urged people to continue to pay their licence fee pointing out it supports independent productions as well as RTÉ.
However, Ministers fear the decrease in revenue seen in the first week of July will be replicated through the rest of the month.
