Lyric FM relocation decision
Deputy O’Dea questioned whether RTÉ could unilaterally reverse the Cabinet decision to move Lyric FM to Limerick. The Taoiseach said he would check the legal position, noted Governments had not usually intervened in RTÉ operations, and expressed surprise that such a move had once been possible.
I recently raised the issue of the decision of RTÉ to move Lyric FM from Dublin to Limerick. I was informed by the Tánaiste, who was answering on the Taoiseach’s behalf on the day in question, that it was a decision exclusively for RTÉ. It has since been brought to my attention that the decision to move Lyric FM to Limerick in the first place was a Cabinet decision, done at the instigation of the then Minister, President Michael D. Higgins. Is it the Government’s intention to allow RTÉ to go ahead and unilaterally reverse a Cabinet decision?
Comment on this
I will have to check this out as well. The legal position may or may not have changed since then. While I have been around the table, we have never been involved in operational matters involving RTÉ, about where it locates its staff or anything like that. I am not sure we would like to get into that space either. Perhaps the legislation has changed since then but I am interested to hear that it was a Government decision to locate Lyric FM in Limerick. I have never been part of a Government that directed RTÉ to do anything-----