Ms Dee Forbes:

We have engaged exactly on these subjects with the Future of Media Commission and with the Department. We outlined very clearly what was needed, particularly in terms of capital and content for the future. Just to give the Deputy an idea on the cost of something like "Normal People", it cost €3 million per episode to make. It is a huge investment. We could never have afforded that. Therefore, the deal that we did was a different deal, where we got to be the Irish broadcaster. We put some money in but we could never afford that. Hence, the approach we have taken with drama now is to try to increase the amount of drama we are getting, but we are a minority funder. We are bringing in third-party funding all the time. For example, "Hidden Assets", which was recently on, was a co-production between a number of parties, from Belgium, France and here. "Smother", which is on air at the moment, has got money from the BBC, Screen Ireland and the western region audiovisual producers, WRAP, fund. Again, we absolutely should be doing those things but the way in which we can partake in content creation is no longer one where it is us alone, given the scale that these productions are now commanding because of the wider market. That is the reality.