RTE has confirmed reports that it is seeking a £50 increase in the annual licence fee.
A spokesman said the application was made to the Minister responsible, Ms de Valera, "a few weeks ago", but the station had not gone public until now to allow her time to consider it.
If granted, the increase would bring the fee to £120, although the submission is also seeking a £250 payment from pubs and clubs showing television to customers.
In 1996, the fee rose from £62 to £70, money which RTE says went towards funding the daily hour of programming it was required to provide to the newly established Telefis na Gaeilge.
Prior to that, the last increase was in 1986.
RTE claims the lack of index-linking has cost it £126 million in lost revenue during the past 14 years.
The station's director general, Mr Bob Collins, said the £50 extra would mean the licence fee costing 33p a day, compared with 19p now. The value for money would still be unparalleled, he claimed, adding that the station had made very clear commitments in its submission to Government "and everything we get will go to programme-making".