There were no earth-shattering revelations at the Oireachtas Media Committee meeting on Wednesday afternoon, but the return of RTÉ’s leadership to Committee Room 3 at Leinster House was not without its problems.
Several key facts were revealed, providing further insight into the much-criticized culture of the organization, and there was visible anger from executives and directors in attendance at the past actions of absent former colleagues. Flashes were also occasionally seen.
The revelations included the fact that former chief financial officer Breda O’Keeffe had received €450,000 as part of a controversial voluntary farewell package in 2021. The other was that Mr O’Keeffe himself had sent a lawyer’s letter to Solicitor General Kevin Bakhurst on Tuesday evening. She asked him to make a point on her behalf to her committee. She said Mr. Baherst responded (and judging by her tone, she was curt) that she had been invited to attend and that she could attend in person.
It has also emerged that Rory Coveney, the former head of strategy and project lead for the disastrous Toy Show the Musical, received a “severance package” after leaving the company last summer. . The amounts involved remain confidential. Mr Baherst defended this as common practice at executive level.
Proceedings started solidly, with Fine Gael’s Brendan Griffin and Sinn Féin’s Imelda Munster, two of the most acerbic inquisitors from the earlier series of what is now a long-running series, continuing their combative approach. Ta. To be fair to them and their colleagues, the committee’s approach has been more consistent, less repetitive, and less high-profile in front of the cameras.
[ Varadkar expresses ‘concern’ that SF could decide RTÉ’s funding as leader sues broadcaster Taoiseach referred to Mary Lou McDonald ]
[ RTÉ media committee hearing: Former chief financial officer Breda O’Keeffe paid €450,000 to leave, Bakhurst says ]
Interestingly, once Ms Munster finished her questioning, her party colleagues Fintan Warfield and Thomas Gould announced that they would abolish the license fee, grant amnesty to defaulters and immediately introduce a direct Treasury funding model. He seemed much more interested in putting forward Sinn Féin’s new proposal to move to . For public service media.
Others continued to focus on RTÉ itself. Human resources director Eimear Cusack has questioned whether her position is sustainable given oversights in the handling of Ms O’Keeffe’s resignation and her failure to push back more strongly against former director general Dee Forbes. It was questioned by members and received the most criticism. problem.
“You knew that wasn’t right,” Mr. Munster pressed. “Were you scared of Dee Forbes?”
Although Mr. Cusack denied having had any fears, the impression of a corporate culture of unwarranted deference and grossly inadequate safety measures remained.
Board member Anne O’Leary said Forbes and Coveney “deliberately circumvented” a requirement that Toy Show The Musical be submitted to RTÉ’s audit and risk committee, which she chairs. In particular, he agreed with Matty McGrath, who said he felt “completely betrayed”.
All internal reports commissioned by RTÉ regarding these related scandals have now been submitted. However, the process still seems incomplete. The conspicuous absence of many important protagonists, particularly Dee Forbes, means that the motivations behind their actions remain opaque.
Was the bad governance that has come under such intense scrutiny over the past nine months endemic to the previous government, or was it more deeply rooted in RTÉ’s history? Some mention of a culture of arrogance However, little was explained about where the culture came from. And there was only a passing mention of what is arguably the bigger scandal, RTÉ’s long history of bogus self-employment for which it has set aside €15 million.
[ RTÉ board ‘should have asked more questions’ on Toy Show the Musical, chair to tell Oireachtas ]
[ RTÉ controversy: Failure of key figures to face questions is a ‘farce’, committee head says ]
Where do we go from here? Media Minister Catherine Martin is expected to receive her own report on these issues in the coming weeks. At least in theory, these would inform any changes deemed necessary in state oversight of how RTÉ operates in the future.
But the bigger question is how all this adds up to the more existential question of sustainable funding models for public service media, now that it is clear the government intends to get started on this issue by the end of the year. The question is whether it is reflected in
It seems a bit strange that the litany of incompetence and deceit revealed in these legal proceedings would lead to RTÉ finally getting what it has wanted for the past decade, but perhaps this is a farce that has been going on for years. It would be a fitting end to the play.
Apply push alert Get the best news, analysis and commentary delivered straight to your phone