Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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I concur with what others have said. Essentially, in respect of the Revenue audit, are we saying this is the only correspondence that was issued between the parties, namely, Revenue and RTÉ? The item from Revenue to RTÉ says:

I wish to advise you that RTE’s offer of €1,223,252 in respect of the conclusion that some individuals treated as contractors should have been treated as employees, has been accepted by the Revenue Commissioners.

It is hard to believe that is the only page available in respect of that finding. I think we should, as Deputy Catherine Murphy suggested, ask for a detailed provision of all correspondence. Of course if individuals are named or if there is personal information, that can be redacted. The committee will accept that. Likewise, I support Deputy Munster on the request for a breakdown of the RTÉ personnel involved in the Revenue settlement. There is a little bit of playing with words here on RTÉ's part. It has taken this as a suggestion we are requesting personal information relating to individuals whereas the debate we had makes it clear we are looking for the numbers within each of the bands, as Deputy Munster said. That, therefore, is absolutely appropriate and it would help this committee in its deliberations so we should follow up on it.

I put on record my disappointment RTÉ is not here today. To suggest it did not have enough notice - it would be a worrying precedent if RTÉ was to contact any of us for an interview on a given matter and we were to tell it we would come back to it in two and a half months. That is essentially what it has told the Committee of Public Accounts. I do not think that is good enough and I wanted to put that on the record.