Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

I also recognise that decision by RTE unions, which was not an easy one to take to provide savings. In that consideration process, the rate of pay across the organisation was a central issue, but I am not going to intervene and micro-manage its payment structures.

Even with the efficiencies that we have introduced and the new ways of measuring that, it is clear that RTE in the current downturn, like all other broadcasting companies, will have to make difficult choices to make savings to make up for the loss of commercial revenue They will have to be in pay costs and other non-personal operation costs, which is happening. It already made significant savings early this year. Decisions will have to be made on other one-off items to achieve savings. That is not an easy task, but at least it is starting off on the right foot in that both unions and management have agreed the broad principles in terms of the pay related issues.

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