Results 1,361-1,380 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 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.

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: In fairness, in all of the failings of governance that we have seen, it is important to recognise that RTÉ is engaging with governance reforms of its own now, including the reconstitution of the executive board, the formation of an interim leadership team and changes to how the barter account is operated on foot of the first interim Mazars report. It is strengthening the oversight 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: If we look to the Future of Media Commission report, one of the recommendations relates to a media fund. We already have the Sound and Vision Fund, comprised of 7% of the net television licence take but the recommendation is that there would be a broader media fund of about €30 million. What we would have is support for public service media content, not just on television and radio...

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 schemes are in the process of being developed by Coimisiún na Meán. There is a State aid issue at play, which is the only source of delay. There has been a very good level of engagement with Coimisiún na Meán and I have been briefed on this on a very regular basis. As someone from rural Ireland, I know the value of local media and am keen to provide support. 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: In a strange way, although trust has been undermined, in many people's minds here the value of public service broadcasting has only been strengthened.

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 is a greater understanding of the absolute need for it and of how critical it is. Of course, we will have to see evidence of reform in RTÉ but we must balance this with ensuring that RTÉ continues to fulfil its public service obligations. The reforms will need to be properly planned and executed when the Government decides on the best approach to 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: No, I do not believe it has been undermined. There is an absolute determination now on the part of the three party leaders, the Minister for Finance, the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery, and Reform, and myself, who were engaging on this before the RTÉ crisis emerged, to deliver. As I said earlier, consecutive Governments have failed on this. 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: A lot of the changes that have been implemented are what we would have expected to be in place from the very start. The board has shown a determination to chart a path forward, to put the reforms in place that are needed and I have seen a much better relationship now in terms of the respect between the board and the interim leadership team, formerly the executive board.

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 to look at the very origins of the barter account, which originates in 2012. The reviewers want to go back to the very origins of that account. We have to remember many of the issues we have been dealing with predate the current chair of the board. It is this chair and board that moved very quickly on discovering something in March and made sure that it was examined thoroughly.

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. The two independent examinations will still be completed within the six months.

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 might be a slight increase for Mazars, the forensic accountant, but not-----

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. It will come in at approximately €300,000 for Mazars. That is what I said.