Dr. Roderick Flynn:

In looking at the manner in which people are appointed to RTÉ and TG4, we make exactly the same point about the appointments to the BAI. I am not suggesting that these are political apparatchiks who are exclusively populating them but it is entirely a political appointment. There are other ways of doing this. At the very least there could be discussion, perhaps in the confines of this committee, when candidates are brought forward. Any potential issues could then be identified. It is surprising to me that we do not do this. It is done differently in other European countries. As I case in point, I was in Salzburg, Austria, last week. They have 36 people, which is a lot of people, admittedly, on ORF, their equivalent of RTÉ. Civil society groups, trades unions, universities and arts organisations are all allowed to nominate individuals. The automobile association in Austria, because it is a very powerful group, has a representative on it. There are ways of doing it that dilutes the focus on exclusively political appointees.