Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Tairgim:

Go gceadófar go dtabharfar isteach Bille dá ngairtear An Bille Craolacháin (Formhaoirsiú ar Chuntais RTÉ) (Leasú) 2024.

I thank the Chair of the Committee of Public Accounts, Deputy Stanley, and committee members, Deputies Munster and Brady, for co-signing this Bill alongside my colleagues beside me.

Is Bille simplí é. De ghnáth, tagann cuntais na n-eagras poiblí faoi chúram an Ard-Reachtaire Cuntas agus Ciste. Ó 1990 áfach, tugadh eisceacht do RTÉ agus roghnaigh sé iniúchóirí seachtracha ó shin. Féach ar an toradh atá le sin: cistí dubha, cuntais bhabhtála, cnapshuimeanna scoir do na boic mhóra agus ag an am céanna, tá gnáth oibrithe thíos leis an bhféinfhostaíocht bhréige agus ní fhaigheann daoine san eagraíocht atá ag obair leis an nGaeilge an pá ceanna leo siúd atá ag déanamh an obair céanna. Níl muinín ag an bpobal in RTÉ. Tá gá le hathrú agus le smacht. Cuirfidh an tArd Reachtaire Cuntas agus Ciste smacht ar RTÉ agus ar na cuntais agus an caiteachas scoilte atá aige. Tagann an craoltóir náisiúnta seirbhíse poiblí eile, TG4, faoi chúram an Ard Reachtaire agus níor chualathas aon fhadhb maidir lena chuntais riamh, seachas b’fhéidir ceann amháin, is é sin nach bhfuil dóthain airgid á thabhairt dó. Níor chóir go mbeadh rial amháin ann do TG4 agus ceann eile do RTÉ agus an saoirse aige a rogha rud a dhéanamh leis an airgead poiblí.

Convicted tax fraudster and former Fianna Fáil Minister, Ray Burke, was widely reported as having said, "I'm going to fucking screw RTÉ", just before he did away with the Comptroller and Auditor General's oversight of RTÉ in the Broadcasting Act 1990. Perhaps this current mess is him having another laugh at us. RTÉ clearly cannot be trusted to investigate itself. The media Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, cannot be trusted to sort this mess out either. When she is not firing people on RTÉ live, she is refusing to answer questions in this Chamber. People are fed up and the Government has no solutions or plans. Putting RTÉ back under the State's chief auditor could stop this mess from dragging on further. It is time for accountability and change.

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