Mr. Rory Coveney:

The orchestra sits within a set of obligations that RTÉ has. It has many obligations, including news, drama, comedy, children's programming, radio services and Irish language services. We are constantly juggling these responsibilities to provide optimum value to audiences.

It is in this context we must consider the orchestras. If one were to think about them on their own, one could have one view; if one thinks about the overall responsibility and the diminishing funding envelope, it is a slightly different perspective.

The model that has been proposed is not about the licence fee; it is about a third source of income, that is, a direct Exchequer grant of some kind being channelled to support the NSO under new governance arrangements within the hall. Senator Buttimer is right to point out the concerns about the independence of the NSO within the hall and its financial independence should another downturn come. These are all concerns which we share and which will form part of the discussions with both the Department and the NCH over the next year as we try to chart a future for ourselves.