Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The decision will be taken before the summer, but we are awaiting the two expert reports. Does the Minister have any notion of the timeline for that? Does it mean that no conversations or communications are taking place at Government level about a decision? Many of us believe there is enough information in the public domain to make the decision.

I welcome the Minister's statement that clarity has to be brought on this matter. This needs to be brought to an end as soon as possible. Sinn Féin has been clear this week that the only means of moving ahead is through direct Exchequer funding and that in our view the necessary protections to avoid political interference can definitely be provided. We all know the absolute necessity of public sector broadcasting. This has been a terrible time for those who work in RTÉ. It has led to huge anger about the lack of governance and disgraceful behaviour at certain times. This needs to be dealt with as soon as possible and as quickly as we can. It is as straightforward as that.

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