Results 6,141-6,160 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: Revenue was on the technical working group that was set up to look at the alternative to Exchequer funding. It would very much have linked in.

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: You have to look at the quantum of funding. There is what will be provided in the budget in relation to that €16 million recommendation from the Future of Media Commission to make sure it does not fall but, rather than an expectation of receiving the money, the tables have turned and there is now an expectation that RTÉ expects us to put conditionality on it as a direct...

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: There may be a role for NewERA in that. This is something that we have to investigate in how the funding is released. All of this is being discussed at the minute.

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 restore trust, the public would expect that conditionality. Part of that path forward is restoring the trust. It is certainly not just about money. It is about building trust up in something that is invaluable to us as a society.

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: As I said, I can understand that frustration at the apparent lack of consequences but when it comes to accountability, it is about the participation and engagement with the Oireachtas and expert advisory committees. That is why we need key people in this controversy, when they are in better health, to engage to help restore the trust in a body they say they absolutely respect and cherish.

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, there are legal complexities in relation to pension requirements that we simply cannot crossover into. That is just the fact of the legal complexities there. All I can do is urge all relevant individuals to engage.

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 point the Deputy to the fact we have a new chair of the board. The executive has been replaced with an interim leadership team and with a new DG. It is not for me to interfere with operational matters of the day-to-day business but maybe this is something that will emerge from the expert advisory groups in relation to culture and governance. There may well be recommendations there...

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 something I can feed into those expert groups, that is, the concern emerging from this committee about the lack of consequences. I could ask them to give consideration to that. As I said, there is regular contact - a few times per week - and engagement with those expert groups so I can do that on foot of this committee meeting.

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: It is no longer an executive board; it is an interim leadership team. From what I have seen take place in terms of reform and of having proper processes in place under the leadership of the DG with this new leadership team, it gives me confidence in them and allays concerns.

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: Regarding the executive board and the new interim leadership team, the Deputy has to remember that under the legislation my direct relationship is with the chair of the board, not with the executive, and it would not be appropriate for me to comment on 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: While I am the line Minister it is very hard to get my personal opinion on something without it being then perceived as my official opinion on something, to be fair.

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 cannot, in the week leading up to budget because they will be the negotiations we will be having.

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 be open to revealing the figure after the budget, the recommendation from NewERA, but in fairness while negotiations are under way with the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, that would not be appropriate. I am open to revealing that figure, as recommended by NewERA, once-----

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: It may steer the Deputy in some way, but I pointed to the €16 million Future of Media Commission recommendation, which is similar to the €15 million last year, and that is what I will most likely seek in the budget. I said that for anything above that I would need to see the strategic vision which would probably indicate there is an amount above €16 million. However, I...

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: There are two questions there. I have said that we would like the solutions to RTÉ's cost base and future strategic direction to be without the need for compulsory redundancies. We do not want to see that. I have conveyed that concern to the DG. It is for the DG to come to us with a strategic vision and with those cost efficiencies. It is not for the Government or for me, as...

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 fact that I broadened and created a second expert committee on foot of my engagement with the staff and the unions shows the respect I have for the staff, the unions, and their concerns. The DG said he is not looking at that but whatever cost cuts he is thinking of, he has to also think of the proper delivery of quality. There are public service obligations. Again, it is not for me 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: Yes.

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: Again, I do not think it would be wise for me, as the Minister with responsibility for media, to pre-empt those discussions. It is a matter that will require detailed consideration by the Government. What is really important, and what I am determined to do, is grasp the nettle to ensure we have that sustainable funding model for RTÉ, as well as to make sure we have a solid funding base...

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: What I said earlier is that the technical working group looked at the alternative to an Exchequer funding model. That is why it was set up; we did not take that one recommendation from the Future of Media Commission. Indeed, the recommendations by the Future of Media Commission were from a different time as well, because they were contingent on a different drop-off rate on television...

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: Consequences for whom?