Shane Cassells (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I respect the Minister saying that, but the problem is that there is an attitude problem here, in that by respecting those decisions, there is this comfort blanket for RTÉ where its managers can come in, make statements like that and subsequently the new director general comes in and says if we do not bail them out, work with them and help them then we by default accept RTÉ's demise. They cannot have it both ways. It is fundamentally wrong for them to do. I respect and value our State broadcaster, but its managers cannot make monumentally bad commercial decisions and then come in here time after time. Up until this scandal, as has been demonstrated by the complete lack of information given to us, they have treated us with contempt and then they came to the Minister and said "Bail us out".