Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The witnesses are all very welcome. I welcome Mr. Bakhurst in particular, and I wish him well in his new role. It is out there in the media that RTÉ will be looking to the Government, and ultimately the taxpayer, for in the region of €50 million to plug a shortfall in the organisation. A significant amount of that has been caused by errors made within the organisation that have resulted in a reduction in income from the television licence fee. I want to know, on behalf of the taxpayer, what RTÉ has put in place already regarding cost-cutting measures. Both Mr. Bakhurst and Ms Ní Raghallaigh have suggested that the television licence needs to be overhauled, and that is going to save the day. We have other media organisations in the country that are able to put out content, and run an organisation and a number of channels, without the significant €100 million plus that RTÉ gets from the Government. In any business, one cuts one's cloth to measure.

I want to know what cost-cutting measures have been put in place over the last two months. This is in light of the restoration of 10% pay cuts over the last eight weeks. In the last 48 hours, we have heard of a contract for €240,000 over three years to take pictures on a soap. I have asked my assistant to take a picture of me speaking here, and I will show it to the witnesses in about two minutes' time. It will not cost anything to do that. For RTÉ to be paying someone €240,000 is quite ridiculous. It makes me ask the following question. Does RTÉ actually realise what cost-cutting measures are?

Has RTÉ looked at the site in Montrose? A number of months ago my colleague, Deputy Brendan Griffin, asked a question about the value of the site in Montrose. Has a valuation been put on the site, and is consideration being given to use that site to alleviate the shortfall for this year and the coming years, and to look at relocation? The witnesses might answer those questions first.