Unions at RTÉ have warned the broadcaster’s board that if the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) is taken from its control, it will “be undermining its own strength and place in Irish society”.

An independent report has recommended that neither of RTÉ’s two orchestras be closed, despite the severe financial constraints faced by the public service broadcaster.

The RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra marked its 70th birthday last evening by, naturally enough, giving a concert in the National Concert Hall in Dublin.

This week the Paradise Papers showed what lengths investors will go to minimise tax bills.