Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the loss recorded at RTE in 2011; and the impact of the circa €50m additional pension liability incurred by RTE during 2011 [38525/12]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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RTÉ is an independent national public service broadcaster whose remit and obligations are set out in Section 114 of the Broadcasting Act 2009.

Section 98 provides that the company shall be independent in the pursuance of these objects, subject to the requirements of the Act and as such, I, as Minister, have no function in the management of RTÉ’s day to day affairs including in relation to pension matters. These are purely matters for RTÉ management.

That said, I have engaged with the Director-General of RTÉ on a number of issues during the course of the year and I have made my view clear that a continuing deficit position is not tenable. I believe that RTÉ management fully concur with this and are taking the remedial action necessary to address the situation. I have been assured that RTÉ is taking all the necessary steps in its intention to return to a breakeven position by the end of 2013.

In relation to the specific information sought by the Deputy, I can confirm that, according to the 2011 RTÉ Annual Report and Accounts, RTÉ recorded a net deficit after tax of €16.8million in 2011.