Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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That is the point I am making. I recollect the number was around the 6,000 mark a few years ago. However, in each of the six-month periods, it has stayed at around that level. The data show a very slight reduction of 300 or so, which is welcome, but over the first six or seven months of the year, the figure has hung around the 6,000 mark. In July, it came in at a total of 5,992. It is a case of whether there will be an impact on this by way of budgetary constraints or other measures in the coming year and whether this is being forecasted.

The next item of correspondence, dated 18 October, is No. R2184B, from Ms Katherine Licken, Secretary General of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. It provides information requested by the committee during the meeting with RTÉ representatives on 12 October 2023. It is proposed to note and publish this correspondence. Is that agreed? Agreed.

I have flagged this for discussion. The correspondence gives a timeline for the suspension of the former director general. The director general was formally suspended on 21 June and the resignation was on 29 June. The only peculiarity was that, on Thursday, 22 June, RTÉ was being quoted in the media as having stated the director general had taken early retirement. She had gone a fortnight earlier.

The other issue addressed in the letter concerns payments to Mr. Ryan Tubridy. The letter sets out when the Department was informed by the chair of the board. The Department states it was informed in late March of this year on foot of an audited annual account of 2022. Does any other member wish to comment on any of this?

An piece of information that has not been flagged by anybody but that might be of interest to members concerns MetroLink, which we have discussed here with officials from the Department of Transport. There are tables included setting out the expenditure so far, at €116 million.

There is a prudent client appraisal value of approximately €12.25 billion. Members can read through the figures themselves. It is information that we may need when representatives of the Department of Transport are next before the committee. Are members okay with the correspondence?