Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)

As the Minister does not have any direct authority over decisions taken by RTE, I will bypass him and address my comments to the public service broadcaster. "Out of sight, out of mind" is a common saying in business. We want to build on the events that took place 12 months ago when Queen Elizabeth paid a symbolic visit to this country and spoke of creating a space for bridge building and developing new relations. In that context, it is inexplicable that RTE has decided to withdraw a human resource element from the United Kingdom. I do not say this lightly. The Minister is a person who calls a spade a spade. I ask him to use his office and articulate the importance of RTE having a human resource element in the UK. If a significant event takes place in Britain, there is no point buying a Ryanair or an Aer Lingus ticket and instructing a journalist to board the next flight to get the story. Stories develop and relationships are built. I hope the Minister will issue guidance and we will see common sense prevail in this matter.

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