Mr. Kevin Bakhurst:

I thank the Senator for his comments. They are much appreciated. On the interim leadership team, we made the two appointments announced in the last day or so. When they and the new chief financial officer arrive, that will be the permanent leadership team. We are pretty much in place now. We will talk to the board about it and that will be confirmed.

With regard to the level of funding, we based the strategy on the recommendations of the Future of Media Commission. The amount it recommended, adjusted for inflation, gives a starting figure of €255 million. Then we said we would ideally need approximately 2% a year so that we do not get stuck in an unsustainable position again in a few years' time because inflation has run away but the funding stayed at the same level. That sum in itself, on this strategy, would be enough to reshape the organisation. In the early years, there would be some investments in new technologies and new products. We would need to fund the voluntary exit scheme across the period. We would have to co-ordinate with that as we move some production off site. We think that level of funding is sufficient to deliver this level of quite transformational change and make the organisation ready for the future by the end of five years. It is important to say that by the end of five years, once it is smaller and once we have reduced the site and reduced overheads, it will put the organisation, for the first time in decades, in a financially sustainable position if that correct level of funding is actually delivered.