Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to be clear on Senator Mac Conghail's first question. The concert hall can employ casual staff and the decision is its own. It does not have to come to the Minister to employ casual staff on a commercial basis. If it wants to take on permanent staff, it will have to seek permission because those persons would be employed under the public service arrangements. In the pre-legislative scrutiny report the committee sought to include a reference to RTE. However, having looked at it carefully I believe the relationship between the National Concert Hall and RTE can be more appropriately and flexibly dealt with in a non-statutory fashion. The National Concert Hall will utilise the range of powers and functions which will be available to it under the new legislation, so I did not want to include a reference to RTE in the legislation. I acknowledge, however, that there is a very special relationship between RTE and the National Concert Hall and I expect that it to continue.