Shane Cassells (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Mr. Bakhurst made quite a combative statement this afternoon. I do not mind that because politicians have made quite combative statements as well, for example, about going to the sell the studio from under his feet and have him filming in a carpark. In his statement, Mr. Bakhurst warned us of the demise of RTÉ if we did not work together – politicians and RTÉ collaboratively – and published the plans for the reform of the licence. In fairness to RTÉ, it has called for this for many years. Mr. Bakhurst will have heard the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael McGrath, yesterday quite clearly when he said that a State-supported body looking to the Exchequer for funding rarely gets everything it wants. Mr. Bakhurst’s full strategic reform and transformation plan will not be ready until the end of this year. Will that plan take account of the anticipated growing losses, running at €1 million a week and will accrue in the next 14 weeks until Christmas, if people continue this trajectory of not renewing their licence, or is his plan based on reform going forward from January 2024 and he will still be looking for that payment of €55 million to plug the hole at this moment in time?