Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I find the response from the Department quite worrying. It seems to have no interest in a body which it funds when that body is opening up potentially very significant liabilities. I accept that RTÉ is an independent statutory body, but on the one hand it is going cap-in-hand to the Government with the Government seemingly uninterested in getting value for money. On the other hand, RTÉ pressed back against this committee when we attempted to examine matters of, I would say, maladministration and I would be generous in my use of that term. It is worrying that the Department shows no interest when it comes to getting value for money given all that we have heard from RTÉ.

There was another reference and further correspondence with RTÉ. It had given me a direct undertaking to review the issue of pay disparity for Irish language workers. That clearly has not been met. I do not think we will get any satisfaction going back and forth given the toing and froing we have had. It is like pulling teeth trying to get information from RTÉ. I hope that representatives from RTÉ will appear before the committee as soon as possible. I look forward to that.