Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 22 November 2016

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment

Public Service Broadcasting: Discussion (Resumed).

5:00 pm

Photo of Tim LombardTim Lombard (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the witnesses. Regarding the vision for RTE, the future financial model is questionable when we take into consideration capital issues regarding Brexit and how it will affect the commercial side. Has RTE been affected by a lack of advertising because of Brexit? To what degree will it affect RTE in future?

Ms O'Keeffe stated if the Donnybrook site is sold the proceeds would be for capital use. How will the day to day issues be run if this capital injection is not used to keep the business going? What review will take place? Brexit is a moving entity and we are unsure where we are going long term. The knock-on effects it could have for the industry and advertising are immense. Listening to people in the industry and the uncertainty about where we are going, perhaps the money from a capital disposal of the Donnybrook site could be used to keep the industry going. I am concerned the proceeds from disposing of the site in Donnybrook would go towards capital investment rather than plugging a gap that might come into existence due to a lack of commercial activity because of the unfortunate dilemma we have at present with Brexit.