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This cost just over €200,000 a year, mainly to cover the cost of electricity.
The main users of the LW service in the UK were the elderly Irish men and women who left Ireland in the mass emigrations of the second half of the 20th century.
Many of this group depended on LW RTÉ as an important emotional and social link with Ireland. Internet radio was not an appropriate substitute for this cohort.
These were the people who provided a vital economic lifeline for parents and siblings by virtue of their monthly remittances from the UK, and who by emigrating reduced the financial burden on the State itself.
The decision to end LW, given with a cowardly two-week notice to prevent organised debate on the issue, perfectly illustrates the dismissive contempt that the “ivory tower” RTÉ management has held for the needs of Ireland’s elderly overseas citizens to maintain contact with the land of their birth.
In comparison with the millions squandered on ‘talent’, failed musicals, entertainment, meals and flip-flops, how little it would have cost to maintain the LW service for another 10 or 15 years for the benefit of the aging Irish Diaspora.
Christopher Greenhalgh, Bearsden, Glasgow
Ryan Tubridy is paid by broadcaster via company, it must be remembered
It should be noted that Tuttle Productions Limited is the company through which RTÉ pays Ryan Tubridy (facilitated by his agent). As a limited company, it has a separate legal entity and is usually liable for corporation tax of 12.5pc on any profits.
That is not out of the ordinary; indeed, a report in this newspaper in 2017 showed seven out of the top 10 highest earners in RTÉ were using companies to get paid.
Any taxes due by the company and its directors are, therefore, not deducted at source but rather as an annual return at the end of the financial year.
Tom McElligott, Listowel, Co Kerry
Maybe the listeners should also have a say in whether presenter returns to radio
New RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst says the attitude of staff towards the return of former Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy to his radio show will be a “major consideration” in the final decision. What about the attitude of the listeners?
Mattie Lennon, Blessington, Co Wicklow
‘Humanity bypass’ indeed – Murphy’s comparison with Nazi trial proves that
The use of the term “Nuremberg defence” by TD Catherine Murphy to dismiss Noel Kelly’s argument that he was simply following RTÉ’s instructions is an example of how errors of judgment are being magnified by politicians to the level of crimes against humanity.
Ryan Tubridy was right when he said there’s been “humanity bypass” in the way the narrative is being told.
Chris Fitzpatrick, Terenure Road East, Dublin 6
GAA and Montrose chiefs joined forces to screw the paying public even more
The Government gave the GAA €21.5m last year. In 1993 it contributed €108m to the rebuilding of Croke Park. This is given on top of funds raised via gate, general TV rights, commercial sponsorship and levies on every club in the country.
This is all underpinned by volunteerism, a unique and priceless asset almost exclusive to the GAA.
RTÉ gets €200m a year via the TV licence. It also is allowed to raise advertising revenue. In 2017 it received €107m for land sold at its Donnybrook headquarters.
Both RTÉ and the GAA depend entirely on the public for cash. Both spent part of this week in front of various Oireachtas committees explaining their models. It made for shocking listening.
Both essentially combined to screw more cash from those who pay for everything but get little back in expected governance.
I have no problem with professional sport extracting cash for its assets, but I do have a problem with an amateur organisation that only exists on volunteerism. How dare they combine to screw us.
John Cuffe, Co Meath
It makes sense for Gaelic games to still accept cash from loyal fans nationwide
I was delighted to hear GAA director general Tom Ryan tell the Dáil Media/Sport Committee that the GAA “will turn away no one from our games if they have only cash”. That’s a simple, commonsense approach that I hope will be shortly implemented.
John Arnold, Co Cork
Blame game for children’s hospital cost over-run, but it’s not contractors’ fault
We are likely to hold an unwanted record in having the world’s most expensive children’s hospital, but there is no point in blaming the cost over-run on the contractors.
How are they supposed to price and quote for something still under design? And who was responsible for selecting the lowest tender, thus exposing the State to unknown and totally unquantifiable extras?
As always, buyer beware.
David Ryan, Co Meath
Study on unborn babies and their fathers shows up pro-choice inaccuracies
I refer to the very enlightening article by Nina Massey, ‘Unborn babies use greedy gene from dads to get food’ (Irish Independent, July 12). Surely the science quoted supports three things:
1. The oft-ignored importance of the father’s role in the unborn and thereby his rights.
2. The innate and individual pre-programmed intelligence of the unborn.
3. The fact that the unborn are indeed biologically separate human beings from their mothers.
Does this not give lie to the pro-choice mantra “My body, my choice”?
Sinéad Tracey, Co Leitrim
There’s nowhere to hide if Twelfth ‘celebrations’ end up being held in Republic
It’s well known there’s an exodus from Northern Ireland (of both traditions, it must be said) around the July 12 ‘celebrations’. Most of those ‘escape’ south of the Border. If we were to initiate a holiday “down here” to partake in the same celebrations, where would those same people go?
Peter Declan O’Halloran, Belturbet, Co Cavan
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