Mr. Michael O'Keeffe:

I thank the Vice Chairman. Obviously, the BAI is a small organisation with 40 staff that is being subsumed into a much larger organisation. We have been planning internally in addition to our engagement with the Department. We will continue that engagement and increase it in the coming months. We have a transition team in place in the BAI to prepare us. We have transitioned in the past, albeit on a much smaller scale. I refer in particular to the transition from the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland to the BAI, which involved the allocation to us of additional resources. We have experience in this area, but acknowledge that this will be is a much greater change and transformation. The planning is essential. We have been doing that internally within the BAI for the past couple of years and we are now engaging with the Department as we get to this stage of the legislation with a view to enactment later in the year. In that regard, we are in a good position but there are many challenges ahead.

On the issue of the levy, we devised a levy system for the traditional broadcasting sector which was a principles-based levy model. Obviously, the scale will be a lot greater in terms of size and our funding requirement, but the principles will remain the same. How we will structure the levy will be based on key regulatory principles, the ability of the sector to pay and various elements of that nature. That will be done once the legislation is enacted, but we will begin to plan for it because it is clearly envisaged that the media commission will be funded by the sector.

Does Ms Craig have any thoughts on the question regarding sanctions?