Ireland’s minister for Culture, Sport and Media has announced an independent, root and branch examination of public broadcaster RTÉ.
There will be two parallel reviews: A Review of Governance and Culture; and, a Review of Contractor Fees, Human Resources (HR) and other matters. The Reviews will each be directed by two different three-person Expert Advisory Committees who will oversee the work of a professional services firm that will be appointed to work on the reviews. The Expert Advisory Committees will work in parallel and coordinate where applicable and will be supported by a team from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.
In March a routine audit of RTE’s 2022 accounts found an issue relating to the transparency of payments made to Ryan Tubridy, the presenter of the popular The Late Late Show for the past 12 years. The scandal has already led to the early departure of director-general Dee Forbes.
Minister Catherine Martin said trust in the broadcaster had been shattered. “Ever since the first broadcast of its predecessor Raidió Éireann, RTÉ has provided a public space for the people of Ireland to speak to and of one another. At its best, it has held up a mirror to Irish society, one that has demonstrated not only the best in our society but one that also revealed its injustices, both glaring and sometimes all too hidden. In doing so, RTÉ has been sustained not only by the tireless work of its staff over the years but also through the trust of the people.”
On Friday 7, the Minister will meet the incoming Director General of RTÉ, Kevin Bakhurst, and the Chair of the RTÉ Board, Siún Ní Raghallaigh, to discuss how RTÉ will co-operate and facilitate the completion of the examination and the immediate next steps they will be taking to contribute to the restoration of trust and confidence in RTÉ.
