Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil leis na Teachtaí as a gcuid rannpháirtíochta ar an gceist seo inniu. Tá sé tábhachtach díospóireacht a bheith againn sa Dáil ar gach aon rud a bhaineann le cúrsaí na meáin agus an craoltóir náisiúnta. Tá todhchaí an craoltóir náisiúnta thar a bheith tábhachtach agus tá mise tiomanta mar Aire na meáin cinneadh a dhéanamh maidir leis an gceist ar mhaoiniú seachtrach fadtéarmach.

I am confident that we are all as one on the importance of addressing the wider issues of trust in RTÉ and providing a secure and sustainable future for public service media in Ireland. I acknowledge the concern of Oireachtas Members, the public and staff in RTÉ regarding the future stability of RTÉ. This crisis has gone on for eight months. Our public service media play a vital role in the functioning of our democracy and ensuring that our diverse Irish culture and Irish artists are shown on our screens and heard on our radios. For this reason since the beginning of this crisis I have done everything in my power to restore trust and stability to RTÉ.

In my opening statement, I set out the detail of the actions I have taken to address the issue of governance and culture and matters relating to contractor fees and employee terms and conditions at RTÉ. I await the reports of these two expert advisory committees next month and the comprehensive set of recommendations for the reform of RTÉ, which it is expected they will make. These will be in addition to the reform measures being implemented by RTÉ and they will chart a way forward in rebuilding trust in RTÉ.

The reduction in television licence fee receipts represents a challenge to the stability of funding of RTÉ and with it the financial survival of the organisation and to the wider media sector through the impact on the sound and vision scheme. As an initial step in addressing this, I secured a combined €56 million in additional Exchequer funding for RTÉ for last year and this year. This was in line with the interim funding recommended by the Future of Media Commission and the further analysis and recommendations of NewERA. I am also fully committed to bringing forward a new funding model for public service media. There has been much discussion on this point over many years and there has been a failure on behalf of previous Governments to tackle this issue. It is now time to grasp this issue and put in place a funding model that is sustainable, protects media freedom and independence and is publicly acceptable. In that we should consider the Exchequer funding model in our discussions.

People have expressed concerns about the potential risk of political interference in funding for public service media but this risk exists in all models, such as the current model, in relation to setting the level of the licence fee or any household charge where, again, the charge would be set at a political level. The challenge is to safeguard against these risks. The Future of Media Commission set out such safeguards which, importantly, include funding levels being established and recommended by the independent regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, and that there would be limited scope for the Government to reject recommended funding levels. Multi-annual funding was also recommended, which brings the matters somewhat outside the annual budgetary negotiations.

The protections have been considered by the Future of Media Commission. When we decide on the model, there will be further detailed analysis to inform and underpin the necessary legislation to give effect to the new model. This has been done elsewhere and it can be done here. I do, however, firmly believe that we can only proceed with this after we have received the reports of the expert advisory committees, which will inform the continued reform of RTÉ so that we can all have trust and confidence in the broadcaster. This will also be facilitated by many of the changes we already made to the framework for media regulation and development in our country, including the new media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, and the decision to proceed with introducing new funding supports for the wider sector, including local and national newspapers.

I thank the Deputies for their contributions this afternoon and I will address a number of issues they have raised. To respond to Deputies Munster, Gould and Boyd Barrett, as I stated in my opening statement the funding model will be decided after the expert advisory committee recommendations. They are key to reform. Reform goes hand in glove with the funding model. We have to see the recommendations. We have to see the commitment from RTÉ to implement the recommendations. There may be necessary recommendations for the Government when it comes to legislation. I expect those recommendations next month. I am determined to make a decision on the future funding model, which I outlined to Deputy Gould as recently as two weeks ago and again last night, before the summer.

Deputy Munster spoke about the C and AG. Deputy Gould raised the matter as well. I have stated several times that this is worthy of consideration, but I am waiting for the expert advisory committee’s recommendations to see if it is included.

Deputy Gould spoke about communication with the chief of staff. I outlined to the chief of staff that new information had come to light about the role of the board in one of these severance packages. The chief of staff knew that I had a pre-arranged agreement to appear on “Prime Time”.

In reply to Deputies Gould and Doherty, I had not made a decision about the chair. I just outlined the facts to the chiefs of staff as they emerged. If I am seeking information and tell people that I need the facts at all times, it is important that I inform the chiefs of staff of the facts as they emerge.

In reply to Deputy Doherty, it is essential that any Minister for media, be it me in this Government or someone else, can rely on having accurate information. I must be confident that I am receiving accurate information. It emerged last week that was not the case. I met the chair on Monday and Wednesday. As I outlined to the committee yesterday, a cover letter that I received when RTÉ wrote to me about the legal advice contained a paragraph that jumped out at me immediately and seemed to contradict what had been said clearly to me on Monday in the meeting with the chair when I asked her whether she had had any role whatsoever and when I went out to correct the record publicly on Monday. Although I was clear on Monday, I really interrogated that point on Wednesday. I was told that not only was there no role whatsoever for the chair or the board, but that the new terms of reference for the remuneration committee and its chair would take effect in future.

Deputies Kelly, Doherty and Tóibín asked why I did not pick up the phone to the chair. I heard that question yesterday. It was problematic that I was given inaccurate information several times at two meetings with my officials present. I believed it was essential not to rely on a phone call. Issues were emerging on Thursday when I was told that the former chair “imagined” she had said something in a phone call, so I was not just going to have a phone call with her. I also believed that the issue was significant enough to require a face-to-face meeting.

As to predicting questions, no Minister doing an interview can predict questions. Instead, he or she expects all questions. In my interview, I did everything in my power not to say I had no confidence. I was trying to keep the door open and I kept repeating that I wanted to be afforded the opportunity to speak to the chair in person. I tried everything in my power to keep that door open and not say, “No confidence”.

Deputy Kelly stated that the former chair made a call to the Department last Thursday and that the purpose of the call was to say she had forgotten to remind me. I wish to correct the record. She actually rang to say she had forgotten that she had given inaccurate information and had chaired the actual committee that approved the severance package.

Deputy Kelly queried whether I outlined yesterday the sequence of events on Thursday. I believe I did that quite clearly. The Deputy may have missed it,-----

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