RTÉ HAS SAID that it has deferred its decision on the relocation of its Lyric FM studios in Limerick.

It comes following a request from the government for RTÉ to take this course of action yesterday after announcing a funding injection to help the national broadcaster.

Addressing an Oireachtas Committee yesterday, director general Dee Forbes said that no decision had been made to defer the decision aimed at cutting costs with RTÉ looking to save €60 million in the coming years. 

In announcing €10 million extra in funding per year for five years for RTÉ, the government said it was establishing a Commission on the Future of Public Service Broadcasting.

The Commission is set to review the broadcaster’s current approach and will make recommendations to the Government on “setting a new strategic direction for public broadcasting provided at national, regional and local level,” a statement from the Department of Communications, Climate Action & Environment said. 

Speaking yesterday, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that any decision on moving Lyric from Limerick should be deferred until that commission completes its work next September. 

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And, in a note to staff today, Dee Forbes said RTÉ was happy to comply with the Taoiseach’s request and that the Department of Communications had been made aware.

She said that it was important a response was given to this request quickly given the “persistent public discussion” around Lyric and the effects it was having on staff and their families.

In September, RTÉ’s Prime Time reported that it wasn’t just the relocation of Lyric FM, but the station itself, that was under threats due to the broadcaster’s “unprecedented” financial situation.