Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I join with the Taoiseach in saluting the memory of Michael O'Regan, who was a gentleman and a truly fine and fair professional. Our thoughts are with him and his family. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

The scandal relating to RTÉ has gone on for months.

It has gone on since last summer, and the Taoiseach still talks about it as if he was some detached, inconsequential observer. He still cannot give straight, concrete answers in respect of accountability and full disclosure of information. It is not, at this point, good enough for the director general of RTÉ or for the Taoiseach, as Head of Government, to continue to dilly-dally and delay on this matter. If RTÉ is guilty of drip-feeding information - which it is and which the Taoiseach has called it out - equally, the Government is guilty of gross indecision, slowness and sometimes an alarming but telling lack of curiosity in the questions it has put to RTÉ.

We now need pace. We need to know from the Government precisely when we will have all of the information required. We also need to know how it intends to ensure that we do not have a repeat of the behaviour we have witnessed. As the Taoiseach awaits another report from another expert committee, I put it to him that there has been one sitting on his desk for the past two years. That report recommends abolition of the television licence. Could the Government please take a decision on that matter without further delay?

See this speech in context