Results 1,321-1,340 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: I have confidence in the board and the chair. It should be remembered that the chair has only been in place since last November and that it is under this board's watch that this issue was discovered. The board has worked under the stewardship of Siún Ní Raghallaigh to ensure that the full facts regarding the issues that have caused this controversy are uncovered and disclosed. 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: The board of RTÉ did the right thing in March when it identified an issue and sought for it to be examined immediately. There were, of course, failings there, however. We have all seen that in various reports and in the work of this committee and the Committee of Public Accounts. The board and the executive accept their failings and the need to address them. However, even more...

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 believe they have moved quickly to work to improve the structures and to address that lack of governance and transparency. The skill set is there in the board as well. The new chair has an accountancy background and board members are recruited through rigorous processes involving the Public Appointments Service and this committee. The members have the various skills needed. They really...

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 true that I found out when the committee members found out on 28 June. The chair rang me on the morning afterwards, following the appearance, to explain and apologise. The explanation was that it was due to due process and individual rights. I had been informed of the suspension-----

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 believe it was to do with due process and individual rights. I was aware of the suspension. I was told about that when it had taken place.

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 have heard it said that maybe due to the resignation, there was no participation in the committees. It is actually not the resignation but the ill health of the individual involved that is preventing her from coming before the committees. What I would really like to see is for her to come before the committees and shed light on this.

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 the Deputy will be aware, NewERA interrogated that ask and came back to me with the recommendation last week. As the Deputy rightly pointed out, RTÉ has to fulfil its statutory obligations and we have to ensure that it does not fail as a result of this crisis, particularly in view of the value of public service broadcasting and the number of staff involved. I cannot reveal the exact...

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 have always said in respect of the TV licence, what it really comes down to is whether we value public service broadcasting. In this day and age, I believe we need it. Public service broadcasting is of more importance than ever before to society and democracy. That is not just news and current affairs but entertainment, education and independent productions. There is an obligation on...

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 always said, I would expect the two external reviews within six months from when they started. We will be at the middle of that at the end of October, and I hope to meet with them then. They are in more than weekly and very regular contact with my officials but I would like to meet them at the end of October to see how it is progressing. It will take six months, and, as the Deputy saw...

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 group approached me last week and asked for that to be extended. From its investigation, that is something that needs to be seen to be done. The original terms of reference had the off-balance sheet items from 2017 to 2022, but now they are looking for that to be extended. That is on foot of a request from the expert advisory committee on governance and culture. I trust that this is...

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 problem with the barter account has been the operation of it. We can clearly see that it was not operating in the way it should have been. That is why the forensic accountant is looking to expand the terms of reference because they are going to go back to the very origins of it in 2012, rather than just dealing with the period from 2017. There are certainly question marks over 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: The use of a barter account is something that is the norm. It is how it was operated that is highly problematic. I agree with the Deputy that the recommendations definitely have to be watertight. They need to be robust if they are to remain in place. We, the Oireachtas, have to have full confidence, and the public has to regain full confidence, so it must be clear that if the barter...

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: Another failing of RTÉ was the lack of engagement with staff and the unions. That engagement has definitely improved under the new director general's watch and he will certainly consult them on the future strategy. I will be meeting him this week. At all times when I have met the director general since he took up his position in July, I have emphasised the need for trust to be rebuilt...

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 issues here, namely, the interim funding and the future funding model. For the latter, the longer package, we will have to await the recommendations of the two independent expert groups I have set up, and I think that is the way it should be in case they identify something not in the strategic vision, for example, that we have all missed because they are undertaking such a...

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 acknowledge it is difficult to hear this but I simply cannot reveal that until it has been discussed with my Cabinet colleagues. The working group was set up to seek alternatives to that recommendation for Exchequer funding that was in the Future of Media Commission report, so it was looking at a strengthening of what was there. I know I have had it since March and I had hoped to seek a...

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 first step of that will be what is decided in the budget. As I said, we will look to the Future of Media Commission recommendation, which was for €50 million last year, and there is a commitment of €16 million this year, so it is-----

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 need to see the strategic plan before we decide on anything above the Future of Media Commission recommendations. My colleagues and I, and I think all the committee members, would accept that we will need to see a strategic vision and RTÉ’s plan for reform and cost efficiencies before anything else is given.

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 plan will be shown to us at a high level in October and we will then see the exact timelines and how it will be implemented. The bottom line is we need to make sure RTÉ can continue to produce and provide a high-quality public service to the people, but I have to be careful in that, under the legislation, we cannot impinge on its editorial independence. Nevertheless, we expect 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: That will absolutely be protected under legislation. RTÉ has an obligation in that regard to independent productions. I spoke to the unit at a meeting in the past ten days or so and allayed the staff's fears about 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 will have to see what comes from the recommendations of the expert advisory group. It is a dual-funded model. This could be a recommendation from the expert advisory group. As I said, everything is-----