Results 1,401-1,420 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 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?

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. That is why it is down to all of us to work together to chart that path forward. We know the absolute value of public service broadcasting in these times. Now more than ever, real-quality content and reliable information are needed. Through the revelations of the good work of these committees, the public’s confidence has been shattered, as has trust. We see that in what 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: It is under the new chair that we are seeing these reforms being brought forward, as well as how these processes and proper governance will take place. Unfortunately, it is the case that they are fixing what should have always been in place. We need to see more than just fixing what should have been happening all along. Yet, I have confidence in the board to chart the way forward.

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 a matter for the director general to see what will happen in those situations in the future. Again, with the greatest respect to the Deputy, we have to move forward and stop focusing on the wrongs of the past. Of course, we have to see the wrongs of the past, but we must move forward or else we will undermine public service broadcasting for all of 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: That is why I feel that the external examinations that I set up so quickly are a huge piece of the puzzle to restore the trust. It is why there is a message to the public that a large amount has been sought by RTÉ in this budget, and they will not be receiving it all. This is because we are looking not just the high-level strategic vision, but getting to the end of the year and seeing...

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 an actual commitment agreed by Government last year on the figures recommended by the Future of Media Commission. That is all that will be. That is that €16 million, just like it was €15 million. As the Deputy knows, however, they have sought much more than 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: The Deputy has to remember that it is under the watch of this board that we are actually seeing everything being interrogated. It is this board that identified the issue in March. It is this board that then sought Grant Thornton to investigate it. It revealed on 22 June the culmination of that investigation. Its chair has not even been in place for a year; it will be a year in November....

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 Secretary General was informed by the chair of the board that they had discovered an issue in regard to something in the regular audit of the RTÉ 2022 annual accounts. At the time, the chair said she had no insight or no clear detail on what it was. She said it would be inappropriate to speculate and told us she had asked for Grant Thornton to investigate the issue and would get...

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: She was very clear on that day that she simply did not have the detail and that it would be inappropriate to speculate. One has to have all the facts. I was waiting for those facts from the Grant Thornton report. The Taoiseach said at the time that he agreed with the way in which that was handled and there was no point in talking and speculating about something that might or might not be....

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: Two or three times a year. I can pass that information on to Deputy Griffin at the end.

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: Ms Ní Raghallaigh only came into the role in November, so it was an introduction and concerns that may have been raised at this committee in relation to certain things in RTÉ. The funding model was also a big issue.

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 did not.