Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is important that orchestras do not get caught up or find themselves used as part of any attempt to campaign for an increase in the licence fee. RTÉ receives considerable revenues from the licence fee, from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and it also receives commercial revenues. That gives it an income - I cannot give an exact figure but it must be some €200 or €300 million, it is certainly more than €100 million - and I wonder how much of that is dedicated to the orchestra. I would not like to see orchestras or other important cultural assets being caught up in any way in an exercise related to cost saving. I will ask the two Ministers to come together to examine the issues and see what can be done to secure the future of the two orchestras.

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