Results 6,101-6,120 of 7,556 for speaker:Catherine Martin

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Catherine Martin: Each and every one of us, including members of Government and Members of both Houses, has a responsibility there. At every opportunity I get, I emphasise and point to highlight not only the legal obligation but also the benefits it brings to society. Each and every one of us has done that throughout this process. To make a decision on the future funding model with everything emerging as it...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Catherine Martin: To add to that, apart from the €16 million recommended by the Future of Media Commission, more will be needed this year and that is why we are looking to the strategic vision. I hope the public will see that we are tying future funding but we are not going to let RTÉ fail this year while we wait for the longer-term funding model decision to be made. We are tying it with that...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Catherine Martin: That is for them to present in their strategic vision. None of us want to see redundancies because, as the Senator said, the staff are the innocent victims in this. Much valued behind-the-scenes work has been done. That is why one of those independent expert groups is really looking at and interrogating the staff element, HR and the contracts out of absolute respect for and recognition of...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Catherine Martin: I can understand if there is a fear there and that is why it is important the DG is engaging. He has created a new staff engagement forum that was never there before. That is why, when I meet him this week, I will be emphasising again that with regard to the strategic vision, I will expect full consultation with the staff before it is announced.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Catherine Martin: Last year, the Future of Media Commission recommendation was not simply a case of saying “Here, you have that”. RTÉ would actually have sought more and, similar to this year, NewERA interrogated that ask and recommended that we stick to the Future of Media Commission amount, which was €15 million last year. Another recommendation that has happened since is that...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Catherine Martin: Is that in relation to the actual amount of €15 million?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Catherine Martin: The Government accepted that because it was an expert task force that made those recommendations, but NewERA then recommended it. This year, it made a recommendation for this year's budget. Last year, it made the recommendation and it happened to land on the exact same amount as the Future of Media Commission.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Catherine Martin: Where we are now is that I will be meeting Kevin Bakhurst again this week. As I said, in the budget, because we have not seen the strategic vision yet and I do not believe it will land before the budget, so-----

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Catherine Martin: Unfortunately, that will not be the case now, but we have seen other delays that have happened in regard to reports, for example. As a direct consequence of that, I will not be considering the full amount until I see the strategic vision. I am only going to look at the recommendation of the Future of Media Commission in the budget and I will hold off on anything above that until I see the...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Catherine Martin: I would not be inclined to make a decision until I have more than a framework.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Catherine Martin: I think the Future of Media Commission amount in the budget is enough to keep them. As I said, we cannot let RTÉ fail, as our national broadcaster.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Catherine Martin: I will not let that happen but there has to be conditionality too.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Catherine Martin: Obviously, it is robust governance but within that robust governance, a lot of it is fixing what we would have expected in the first place. I would like to see a focus on independent productions, on digital and on driving efficiencies. We need to see a vision of a trustworthy broadcaster that provides quality content that reflects the values of our society and reflects the diversity of...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Catherine Martin: They are really issues for the director general to bring to Government rather than for the Government to bring to him. Having said that, we have the expert groups in place to make those recommendations from a cultural, governance and HR point of view. There will of course be cuts in some areas, but we will have to see investment in others. The director general is going to have to...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Catherine Martin: I would not like to see compulsory redundancies. That is one area, and the Senator might agree with me on that. However, on the other issues it is the director general who knows this best and he will have to make an informed opinion on that and come to us.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Catherine Martin: The environment has changed for RTÉ in an online world. The online platforms have taken a lot of the advertising away from it and there must be recognition of that. I do not want to pre-empt the strategic decisions the director general, who is best placed, is going to make on this. I am focused on our looking to the future and ensuring we have a sustainable model. That will be tied...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Catherine Martin: I can understand the frustration about that exact issue, but at all times I as Minister must respect editorial independence in these decisions. What we will expect in future is the transparency and honest discussions and engagements with the committee that I have sought ever since this crisis emerged. That needs to change and change for good. We need to see it as Members of the Oireachtas...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Catherine Martin: Can I answer that?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Catherine Martin: We are not, because RTÉ has sought a certain amount and it will not be getting it in the budget until I see evidence things have changed. That includes attitude and participation and respect for both Houses of the Oireachtas, the public and the staff of RTÉ. There were huge corporate governance failures with respect to Toy Show The Musicalas well as incredible commercial failure....

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Catherine Martin: No, not since the engagement with it in July.