Results 981-1,000 of 15,510 for speaker:Brendan Griffin

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2024)

Brendan Griffin: It is not speculative to ask if the Minister has asked for the figure.

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2024)

Brendan Griffin: This is what I want to differentiate. There is the Department of Social Protection figure, and we know that is ongoing and it has not been rectified. Outside of that, there are workers who were deprived of the various benefits that come with being an employee of any organisation, let alone a semi-State organisation. In my view, RTÉ is completely abdicating its responsibilities to...

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2024)

Brendan Griffin: In the context of a potential further State bailout of RTÉ and in terms of the risks to the organisation of outstanding or potential future liabilities, surely this is a figure the Minister has established on top of the Department of Social Protection liabilities to employees.

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2024)

Brendan Griffin: To clarify, this is the figure in regard to the Department of Social Protection’s liabilities.

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2024)

Brendan Griffin: Has the Minister also sought a figure in regard to employee liabilities?

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2024)

Brendan Griffin: Has the Minister sought it?

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2024)

Brendan Griffin: Does the Minister acknowledge there are two elements to this? There is the liability to the Department of Social Protection in respect of PRSI payments and various other things that were not paid by the organisation over the years. Does the Minister also accept that, separately, there is an element in respect of the employees and what they should have received as employees versus what they...

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2024)

Brendan Griffin: Has the Minister sought both figures?

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2024)

Brendan Griffin: To establish the full picture of what the potential financial hole at RTÉ will be, surely this figure is crucial. This could run into multimillions and could dwarf what we have already lost in licence fee renewals and new licences, for example. Surely the Department needs to be all over this in establishing how much is involved, not just on the Department of Social Protection side but...

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2024)

Brendan Griffin: On the Department of Social Protection side, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media is actively engaging with a view to establishing the final settlement figure. I imagine that is happening at the moment.

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2024)

Brendan Griffin: Is there therefore no provision within the Minister's Department for a potential future settlement with the Department of Social Protection and the RTÉ employees?

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2024)

Brendan Griffin: Is the Minister saying there is no contingency and no provision for this?

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2024)

Brendan Griffin: We know-----

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2024)

Brendan Griffin: We know that there is a liability there and this is going to have to be settled. It is not going to go away. It is there and it is going to grow. It is only going to go one way. In the future, regarding the funding of RTÉ, I would imagine this is surely going to have to be taken into consideration. The Minister is conscious of the Department of Social Protection liabilities but is...

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2024)

Brendan Griffin: Okay, but is it the case that it is now on the Minister's radar?

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2024)

Brendan Griffin: Surely the Minister’s Department should be establishing the estimated figure for that. I am quite sure that the director general knows that figure.

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2024)

Brendan Griffin: As the Minister knows, the station is in dire straits financially. She knows that it is going to come back to her to financially support the organisation into the future. Surely, therefore, her Department has to be preparing for all eventualities. One of these huge liabilities that the organisation has is in its responsibilities to its workers. This is an area that has not been dealt with...

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2024)

Brendan Griffin: Does the Minister agree that the workers who have been previously classed as self-employed and who should have been in some cases classed as direct employees of the organisation for many years should retrospectively be paid their benefits?

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2024)

Brendan Griffin: And in accordance with the law?

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2024)

Brendan Griffin: The Department needs to be fully involved here and at least make a provision for what will potentially be a huge amount that will have to be paid. This money is rightfully owed to these workers. The Minister also needs to speak with the chair of RTÉ about how these workers are being treated when they try to raise their plight. In my engagement with some of the workers at the centre...