Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The situation here is blurring the lines. If a person buys a TV set, he or she must purchase it. There will always be exceptions such as those who go outside the State to purchase a TV set, but people must also connect to a service. There is a delay in taking action on this matter. There is no doubt that the funding is needed.

I also wish to discuss the pay structure in RTÉ. I am aware that it is a personnel matter - I will not use the term "human resources" because I will not reduce humans to being resources. In RTÉ it is a personnel and management issue, but the Minister is the shareholder on behalf of the taxpayer. Members have raised the issue in the past of five presenters receiving close to €2 million in fees. This needs to be addressed.

With regard to funding, when an individual accesses a broadcasting platform, be it hooked up to a cable or a satellite signal from Sky or another provider, the person enters a database. Whatever happened in 2009, we have moved on since then and technology has advanced.

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