Ms Dee Forbes:

TG4 is completely independent of RTÉ, but the two organisations have a very strong relationship. We do Nuacht together, for example. Nuacht on RTÉ and TG4 is a combined news service for both organisations. The Broadcasting Act includes an obligation on RTÉ to provide content for TG4 on an ongoing basis for an hour a day, of which the news is a very big part. To be candid and honest, it is difficult to sustain it, given our financial position. However, we have worked as well as we can to be a good corporate cousin for TG4. We are behind on the commitment, but we are trying to work it through. However, it is another indicator of where we are financially as an organisation.

The archives are hugely important to us as an organisation and something that gives a great deal of energy and delight to the nation. We are about to embark on a significant capital project to digitise the archives. So much of the material is in its old format. Whether it is tape or film, we need a significant upgrade to digitise it. We had done some of it previously, but we are starting on a bigger programme that will represent a significant capital cost. However, it is one we believe we must undertake because we are protecting the nation's history. We must ensure the archives are protected for the future. It is something that we are taking very seriously.