Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Yes, hands off. Government can never interfere with a public service broadcaster. There has always been a hands-off and an arm's-length approach. I can remember as a young student when people accused governments of the day of interfering too much in RTÉ in terms of editorial control or saying that RTÉ should not publish this or should not criticise that. That was an earlier debate in society which I thought everyone had agreed to, that we should keep at arm's-length from the broadcaster in respect of editorial control or trying to manipulate it. That does not mean that RTÉ does not have to adhere to the proper norms and frameworks around redundancy packages and dealing upfront with the Revenue. All of that is obviously something the Minister is very concerned about. That is why the Minister has initiated a variety of reports in respect of governance and culture in RTÉ. It is not an acceptable culture. There is no difference in our position here in respect of this.

We should not be putting words in people's mouths. I am not on record anywhere as saying that people should be dragged before the courts. I never said that but just now, the Deputy said that I did. We need honesty, complete transparency and accountability. I have never set myself up as judge and executioner of anybody in society. I mean that. We have to be careful too and there should be full accountability before the committees of the House. However, those committees must also balance that with due process. I respectfully suggest that has not always been the case in the past in terms of how committees conducted inquiries.

The current committees are doing a good job. In fairness to the arts and culture committee, it has done good public service in revealing a lot of this which would not have been revealed without the work of our Oireachtas committees. I think the members of the committee, chaired by Deputy Niamh Smyth, have elicited information for the public which we would not have been presented with otherwise. That is good and I would like to see more of that. I would like to see everybody involved come before the Oireachtas committees. I acknowledge that if people are in ill health it is difficult. I respect that principle but I think we should look at other mechanisms by which people could give their account of what happened. Perhaps the Oireachtas or the committees responsible could look at those who have not come forward.

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