Ms Dee Forbes:

The Deputy asked whether we had interactions with Comhaltas or Conradh na Gaeilge. We do. We have a great relationship with Comhaltas. We work with it on covering the fleadh every year and there is an ongoing, strong relationship, as there is with all of the Irish language bodies. We are committed to doing more in this area, but it is a challenge.

The advertisers decide where they want to advertise and at what weight. It has nothing to do with us in terms of any advertiser, be it Government or not. That was a decision taken by the agency that works for the Government to place advertising around messaging and information, etc. That was a feature of the pandemic and it is worth saying that advertising during the pandemic, especially in the early days, was significantly challenged. We and every other broadcaster and media outlet saw massive reductions in advertising. It was a challenging time for anybody relying on advertising given the economic state of the country, but that has nothing to do with us. Whoever the advertiser is decides where they advertise and what the message is. Provided the message is legal and complies with the codes, we take that advertising.