21 May 2013, 13:05
The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport and Communications tomorrow meets with Noel Curran Director General of RTÉ. The meeting is expected to focus on the current budgetary position at the station and the pay levels to contracted and staff broadcasters.
21 May 2013
Committee Chairman Tom Hayes TD says: “Our Committee has an important oversight role in the general policy direction of public bodies and looks forward to meeting Noel Curran tomorrow. Committee Members are broadly supportive of a vigorous and dynamic public service broadcaster. The meeting tomorrow provides an opportunity to explore the steps being taken to ease the current financial difficulties being experienced at the station. With Mr Curran admitting that RTÉ has overpaid its top broadcasters in the past, the Committee will also wish to explore with him the planned cuts in remuneration to its most high-profile figures.
“The Programme for Government envisages a household broadcasting charge for each home in the country to replace the existing TV licence fee. As a Committee, we met with independent broadcasting representatives, who made the case for their sector receiving a share of such a fund. We look forward to hearing Mr Curran’s perspective on the plans for a broadcasting charge and whether he believes commercial broadcasters should be entitled to a larger share of public funding.\"
The Committee will also receive an update on the implementation of new editorial policies in the light of recent controversies at the station.
Deputy Hayes continues: “As a Committee, we wish to explore the steps taken by management to secure public confidence in RTÉ programming. The reputation of RTÉ’s current affairs and investigative reporting was undermined by a number of serious lapses in the Prime Time Investigates Mission to Prey programme and in the Frontline presidential debate. The Committee will be keen to learn what enhancements to editorial processes have been put in place in such high-profile and influential programming.”
The Committee meeting takes place tomorrow Wednesday 22 May at 9:30 am in Committee Room 4. Proceedings be viewed online via the following link.
For further information contact:
Paul Hand,
Communications Unit,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 4484
M: +353 87 694 9926
Committee Membership
Deputies
Michael Colreavy, Sinn Féin
Timmy Dooley, Fianna Fáil
Dessie Ellis, Sinn Féin
Terence Flanagan, Fine Gael
Tom Fleming, Independent
Noel Harrington, Fine Gael
Tom Hayes, Fine Gael (Chairman)
Seán Kenny, Labour
Eamonn Moloney, Labour
Michael Moynihan, Fianna Fáil
Patrick O’Donovan, Fine Gael
John O’Mahony, Fine Gael (Vice-Chairman)
Ann Phelan, Labour
Brian Walsh, Fine Gael
Senators
Terry Brennan
Sean D. Barrett
Eamonn Coghlan
Paschal Mooney
Ned O’Sullivan
John Whelan