Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I dtús báire, cuirim fíorfháilte roimh an Uasal Ó Dubhghaill, an Uasal Horsman agus an Uasal Coveney. In welcoming the presentation, I wish to say that we greatly value the RTÉ orchestras. I had the pleasure of being in Philadelphia during the summer, where I visited the Kimmel Centre for the Performing Arts. A friend of mine, John Cohen, is a cellist with the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra. There is a perennial funding issue across the world.

RTÉ, in its five-year plan, committed to the ongoing vibrancy and long-term success of the orchestra. In terms of funding, is it the case that we are already paying for the orchestras through the licence fee? Mr. Ó Dubhghaill referred to seeking extra money from the licence fee, and the director general of RTÉ has said the same. Is the case that we fall back to the same old solution of increasing the licence fee? Pat Rabbitte, when he was Minister, propose a model to change that. It costs €4 million to maintain the orchestra and RTÉ has a statutory obligation to do so. Is that correct? The Government provides X amount of money and RTÉ provides Y. Is there a model whereby RTÉ could make money from commercial activity or naming rights? I am just asking the question. The witnesses have probably discussed the matterad nauseam, and I apologise if there is an obvious answer.

There is widespread support for retaining both orchestras. I thank Ms Sarah Joyce, who is in the Gallery, for the petition. She is a part of the Dublin Youth Orchestra. The taxpayer will always want to know what it is costing him or her. We need to recognise the value of this and provide money for it. The Minister received a 13.5% increase in the arts budget. Is there scope to receive monies from the Creative Ireland funding announced earlier this year? We are all conscious of the need for reform, but if the orchestras are placed under the jurisdiction of the National Concert Hall, as the Boaden review suggests, how can growth of the orchestras be prioritised given that there has been an attrition of musicians? We have to provide certainty for them. How will it be prioritised, even if that means the National Concert Hall could potentially incur a financial loss?