Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The questions are self-explanatory. On the one hand we want to maintain having all the licence fee revenue going to RTE and also seek an increase in the fee. The witnesses used the word "realistic". When the country's economy has collapsed, how realistic is it to suggest that a State entity would receive an additional subsidy on top of what it is already getting even though it has a bloated element of expenditure and at the same time ignoring that others that are delivering commercial public service broadcasting on a daily basis are receiving no subsidy from the State? I find that totally unacceptable.

If the BAI's contribution to the debate on how we are to fund broadcasting in future is what I have heard so far, I would have serious concerns. The BAI's role should be to be the overall authority for all broadcasters regardless of who owns them and to ensure that the content addresses what the public wants and needs. It certainly should not be a safety valve or mudguard for the State broadcaster. I find that very hard to take.