Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will try not to be repetitive. Ms Forbes has laid out the financial position clearly, as she has done previously on a number of occasions. In the past she pleaded with us not to get hung up on the capital moneys received by RTÉ from the sale of property because the moneys would be used to improve technology and try to keep pace with developments in the broadcasting sector. It is good that she is reiterating this point because people often tend to think the sale of an asset solves the funding problems caused by losses when that clearly is not the case. It is good that the BAI recently took the unprecedented step of setting out the need to ensure RTÉ had the appropriate funding. We regularly talk here about the funding of public service broadcasting. Members often prevail on the Minister and the Department to find that funding for RTÉ. I know that Ms Forbes shares our view that there is a need to help local radio stations to provide public service broadcasting as part of their remit under their licences, but they need State intervention and support. A programme of work is ongoing in that regard . All of this has been said.

A new Minister has been appointed to the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment. I suspect the joint committee will invite him to come before it in order that members can get a sense of his understanding of these matters and urgency in dealing with them. We have to undertake some work in that regard.

I would like to ask two questions in addition to those asked by the Chairman. The question of RTÉ's obligations to the self-employed and contractors may have been addressed by Ms Forbes when she appeared before the Committee of Public Accounts. Will she update us on the work carried out in that respect?

How is RTÉ's redundancy programme going generally? Ms Forbes reflected on that issue at a previous meeting of the committee. She might be able to update us further on it.