David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to have a further debate on public broadcasting.

We had one a couple of weeks ago and the Minister might remember that during it I offered to meet him to discuss this important issue. That offer still stands. It would be useful. I genuinely believe that we need to get to a point where there is some sort of political consensus on this issue because we need to protect public broadcasting, not just our public broadcaster. We need to look at public broadcasting more holistically.

This debate is about RTÉ, which is a significant part of public broadcasting, but the Minister would accept that many local radio stations and other forms of media provide a public service. When we are examining reforming, restructuring and re-examining public broadcasting, it has to be bigger than RTÉ, albeit that it is a significant factor. It is also important to point out that there needs to be cultural, financial, organisational and structural changes in RTÉ, irrespective of the funding crisis or the fact it is seeking changes to the licence fee and how the money is collected and its need to increase its revenue and get its house in order in number of different ways.

The announcement of its restructuring plan was premature. The Minister acknowledged the plan was made public in a less than desirable way but it happened because of a leak. I listened to the director general speak on many programmes. I do not know the Minister's view in this regard but I was not entirely convinced that the plan will succeed and that RTÉ will reach the targets it has set for itself. The plan did not seem to come with clear and specific targets or be fully costed, considering all of the individual pieces in the overall restructuring plan. There were many caveats, ifs, but and maybes. I am concerned about whether some elements of the plan will achieve a lot of what has been claimed. Was the Minister required to sign off on the restructuring plan, formally or informally? Deputy Quinlivan will also outline some concerns about what was announced but the bigger point is whether RTÉ can follow through on the plan.

During the last debate on this issue people referred to salaries in RTÉ. I accept and welcome the fact that there will be movement in the area, although we will have to wait and see how that will work out because people have contracts and asking people to take pay cuts of 10% or 15% voluntarily, as has been suggested, may present difficulties. While nobody in the Chamber believes that cutting the pay of prominent presenters and executives will solve the financial crisis in RTÉ, it is symbolic of what is necessary. The optics of some presenters earning €300,000, €400,000 or €500,000 when RTÉ is a public broadcaster paid for by the taxpayer rightly angers people and it is right that those issues are addressed.

There are issues with regard to class in RTÉ, something I have raised with the director general and RTÉ. I do not believe it reflects modern Ireland or modern Dublin at all times. It reflects what many see as a couple of postcodes in Dublin but does it reflect working-class communities? Do we hear their stories? Very often the stories we hear about working-class communities can be highly negative but those communities have very positive stories to tell. Many such communities have their struggles, many of which are a consequence of bad policies, but they are vibrant communities which do not always get the space that others do. For example, some of the weekend programmes on RTÉ radio feature the chattering and middle classes having a conversation about issues important to them, which do not always connect with ordinary working people and their struggles. That has to be part of a wider review of public broadcasting.

As I have said to the Minister a number of times, I sincerely believe there has to be political leadership from those in government and in opposition. We cannot rail against some of the decisions which have been made and staff cuts which will have an impact, such as the partial closure of Lyric FM in Limerick, and at the same time not put our money where our mouths are and support the reforms which are necessary to put RTÉ on a sustainable basis. As the Minister noted, what is the alternative to having a national broadcaster? It is more private ownership of the media. We already have problems with one individual who owns large amounts of the media. Do we want the equivalent of Fox News in Ireland and not have what is considered to be fair and balanced broadcasting with all of the protections provided by public broadcasting? I do not believe that is where we need to go and I do not believe that is where the vast majority of people believe we should go.

Some people will say, "To hell with RTÉ and the State broadcaster." If we believe in public services, we should believe in public broadcasting. That brings me to what we need to do. I have said before that funding for independent production has been cut from €80 million to €40 million, which is a significant cut that we want to be reversed. In fact, we want the €80 million to be provided directly from the Exchequer over a number of years. This would provide more funding for independent producers and screenwriters who create jobs in the regions. If the entire €80 million was funded through the Exchequer in a fair and progressive way, rather than simply increasing the licence fee, it would be better for RTÉ, independent production and jobs and would mean that money could be freed up to do other things.

We have to have a discussion on enforcement of the licence fee. Nobody can stand over the high levels of non-payment. There needs to be some sort of political consensus on this. The Minister has a responsibility to reach out to the Opposition and others to try to bring that about. The perception is that the can is being kicked down the road for five years and we have to wait. I do not know whether that decisions has been made to get any parties over the election or is ideological but it is not right and will not work. As I said to the Minister a number of weeks ago, I am prepared to meet him or a representative of any political party on this issue to find out whether some political consensus can be achieved in order that there is real change and action in this area, rather than more talk.

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