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FOI Publication Scheme

Section 8 of the Freedom of Information Act, 2014 requires FOI bodies to prepare and publish as much information as possible in an open and accessible manner on a routine basis outside of FOI, having regard to the principles of openness, transparency and accountability as set out in Sections 8(5) and 11(3) of the Act. This allows for the publication or giving of records outside of FOI provided that such publication or giving of access is not prohibited by law. The scheme commits FOI bodies to make information available as part of their normal business activities in accordance with this scheme.

The BAI has prepared its FOI Publication Scheme in accordance with section 8 of the FOI Act 2014 and it is published below. The scheme is comprised of categories of information with links to a separate webpage containing the relevant information under each of the listed categories. If the information you require cannot be found here or elsewhere on the BAI website, you can contact the BAI at comms@bai.ie.  If the information is not currently made publicly available by the BAI you may consider making a Freedom of Information Request.

Freedom of Information Disclosure Logs

Further to the requirements of the Freedom of Information (“FOI”) Act 2014, the BAI publishes a Disclosure Log, which contains details of all non-personal requests received under FOI since 2018 and the decisions made by the BAI in response to those requests.

The FOI Disclosure Logs contains the following information: FOI request number, date received, category of requestor, request summary, date of decision sent and the outcome of the request. The disclosure logs can be found here.

Who we are and what we do

The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) is the regulator of independent radio and television in Ireland.

The Authority’s key functions are:

  • licensing radio and television services additional to those provided by RTÉ, TG4, the Houses of the Oireachtas Channel and the Irish Film Channel
  • making broadcasting codes and rules
  • the review of the performance of RTÉ and TG4 against their stated annual public objects and on the adequacy or otherwise of the public funding available to PSBs to meet their public services objects
  • to provide, and award, funding for programming and archiving of programme material relating to Irish culture, heritage and experience under the Broadcasting Funding Scheme
  • to monitor and enforce compliance of licensed broadcasters with their respective broadcasting contracts, and relevant broadcasting codes and rules.  
  • to provide for, and decide on, complaints from viewers and listeners regarding broadcast content on all Irish broadcasting services
  • supporting the development of the broadcasting sector, including through research, and the provision of funding for sectoral development and sponsorship of media related events.
  • Supporting the understanding of media, including the promotion of media literacy across a range of sectors to empower audiences with the skills and know to understand traditional and new media

Authority, Committees and Executive

The BAI consists of the Board (“The Authority”) and two statutory committees – the Contract Awards Committee and the Compliance Committee. The Authority has a standing committee (“The FAR Committee”) to oversee finance, audit, and risk matters. The BAI Executive supports the management and administration of the functions of the Authority, Contract Awards Committee and Compliance Committee. The remit of the BAI is set down in the Broadcasting Act 2009

What we spend and how we spend it

The BAI is funded through a levy paid by public service broadcasters and broadcasting contractors at a level required to meet the expenses of the BAI in carrying out its functions. The BAI budgets on both a three-year and annual basis and allocates funds to projects that correspond to the high level goals in our workplans and to operational activities required to carry out the day-to-day operations of the BAI to ensure we fulfil all our obligations. 

Financial Statements: The BAI publishes a statement of annual accounts in its annual reports. Financial Statements can be found in the publications section of the website

Financial, Audit and Risk Committee: The financial activities of the BAI are overseen by the internal Financial, Audit and Risk Committee which is a standing committee of the Authority and has an independent member. This committee ensures that the internal financial controls in the BAI are effective and adhere to best financial practice.

Expenditure & contracts over €20k: The BAI publishes a ‘Purchase Report’, on a quarterly basis, detailing any expenditures and contract commitments that exceed €20k and also, a ‘Prompt Payments Report’ which details the BAI’s performance in meeting the administrative requirement for a 15 day payment period to suppliers for commercial transactions. The BAI is committed to making every effort to pay its suppliers promptly. Suppliers are subject to terms and conditions for goods and services. 

Pay and expenses: The rates of pay and expenses applied by the BAI are the standard civil service pay and expense rates.

How we make our decisions

The Authority & Committees The BAI’s main decision body is the Authority, which provides strategic direction for the organisation. The Contract Awards Committee and the Compliance Committee are responsible for operational activities covering licensing and compliance (such as monitoring & complaints) respectively.  The Financial, Audit and Risk Committee oversees the financial activities of the BAI. The agendas and minutes for meetings of the Authority are made publicly available. The Contract Awards Committee issues its decisions on the award of a licence.   The Compliance Committee publishes its decisions on complaints. 

Information we routinely publish

The information routinely published by the BAI is available in the publications section of this website.  The information is categorised and the topics include;

Also in the publications section, are the annual reports of the BAI which detail the BAI’s activities for the previous year and the financial accounts for that period.

Public Consultations

We are committed to engaging with our stakeholders and taking account of their views and input in the way that we carry out our work including consulting when we are developing a new, or revising a current, policy such as a programming code or the Sound & Vision funding scheme or when we are planning a new area of work, or to change the way we do something.

Accessibility

The BAI is committed to making information accessible to all. If you require additional assistance in accessing any of the services or information provided by the BAI please click contact our Access Officer who will assist you. Access Officer: Roger Woods e-mail: info@bai.ie / tel: +353 1 644 1200

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