Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

That is great. The net return to RTÉ was approximately €78 million. RTÉ distributed that appropriately in terms of capital expenditure and some other things it had to do. It reduced the debt by €10 million and did several other things. The net price per acre was pretty good. It is a very sought after part of Dublin. At approximately €10 million an acre, the remaining land would fetch in the region of €200 million. Going back to the time of the former Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Alex White, one of the considerations was whether RTÉ should leave Montrose altogether and relocate to another location.

Of course, the broadcaster's original home was in Athlone, even before it was at the GPO.

Would it be a consideration that, aside from retaining modest and essential studio facilities in an expensive part of Dublin, be it city or county, RTÉ could, from a production perspective, cash in the chips for €200 million and relocate to somewhere in counties Kildare, Meath, Wicklow or wherever? Is there an opportunity for independent production facilities whereby RTÉ could supply the infrastructure to be used by independent companies, movie makers or whatever, instead of them having to go to Ardmore, the studio in Limerick, Shepperton or one of the other studios in the UK? If RTÉ were to sell everything, bank a proposal whereby €200 million would come in, clear its remaining debt and, it would be hoped, be left with something like €170 million, would that be something worth considering? Notwithstanding that we have to get the structure of funding correct in any event, would that be a viable option? Has it been considered?