Mr. Peter Finnegan:

What we did was look at the various models that were possible, which we costed out. Ms Connolly's team in the Parliamentary Budget Office did the costings. The direct employment model on a full-time basis is considerably more expensive. There is no doubt about that. Obviously, there can be discussions around how many people should be full-time, etc., but even by adjusting that and maybe reducing the number, it still comes out more expensive. The big issue from the commission's point of view is the commission is looking for a good quality broadcast service, value for money and fairness in terms of how people are treated, etc.

As I said earlier, if the two sides come together and use the structures that are there, the commission will not be found wanting.