FIVE THINGS WE FOUND OUT ABOUT RTÉ OPERATIONS YESTERDAY
RTÉ bosses have now supplied more than 30 hours of testimony to Oireachtas committees since a series of controversies emerged last summer, following their seventh appearance yesterday. With revelations mounting about a failed musical venture, noncompliant redundancies and executives leaving with golden handshakes, here are the five key moments from yesterday’s Media Committee meeting.
€450K FOR O’KEEFFE
Politicians yesterday focused their attention on the redundancy package that was given to the former head of finance at RTÉ Breda O’Keeffe.
The director general Kevin Bakhurst admitted that the revelation that the former chief financial officer left on a redundancy scheme, despite her role not being suppressed, might not have come to light without probing by those on the committee.
After coming under pressure by Fine Gael TD Alan Dillon to reveal the value of the exit package in the name of the ‘public interest’, Mr Bakhurst eventually admitted ‘it was €450,000’.
Mr Bakhurst said that there was ‘significant legal pressure’ on RTÉ surrounding the exit package of Ms O’Keeffe.
‘I even got a letter as of yesterday evening from the solicitors of the previous CFO setting a range of things she would like me to say in committee and the response was you were invited in,’ he said.
But he relented to revealing the figure when reminded committee hearings came with legal privilege.
COVENEY’S EXIT
After being badgered for further detail on how the former director of strategy Rory Coveney left the organisation last summer, Mr Bakhurst revealed he too got an ‘exit package’.
Mr Coveney was called the ‘driving force’ behind Toy Show The Musical which lost over €2.2million, and he resigned just weeks after the secret payments scandal came to light last summer.
He refused a request to come before the committee yesterday but chair and Fianna Fáil TD Niamh Smyth implored him to reconsider and Committee chair: Niamh Smyth come before them on another occasion. RTÉ head of HR, Eimear Cusack, said she signed off on the exit for Mr Coveney, a brother of Enterprise Minister Simon Coveney.
Mr Bakhurst said that he spoke to Mr Coveney in July, and agreed that his position was ‘not sustainable’ and that it was ‘the honourable thing’ to resign.
However, he said that legal advice meant that he could not reveal the details or the value of the exit package given.
‘We would rather not pay out public money but sometimes you need to reach an agreement for people to leave,’ he said.
ANNE O’LEARY COMES OUT FIGHTING
The chair of the RTÉ board subcommittee – the Audit and Risk Committee – Anne O’Leary said she felt ‘completely betrayed’ by the former director general Dee Forbes, who failed to provide them with financial and risk details about Toy Show The Musical. Ms O’Leary said she asked on several occasions for the data, and that she had asked Ms Forbes, Mr Coveney and the chair of the RTÉ board Moya Doherty. She said she felt ‘ignored’ when she asked for this information to be handed over to be assessed, and completely rejected claims that the board gave any formal sign-off for the venture to take place. Ms O’Leary said she repeatedly asked ‘When are we going to get the risk analysis? When are we going to get the financial model?’ but it was not provided until after tickets for the show went on sale. She said Ms Doherty presented the project as ‘done and dusted’. She stated: ‘I went to the chairwoman herself and I kept being told this has been done. It’s going to be one of the best things that’s ever happened to RTÉ, and it’s going to be a huge commercial success.’
RYAN TUBRIDY’S €150,000 AND SALARY CAP
Kevin Bakhurst said that the €150,000 received by former RTÉ presenter Ryan Tubridy from the broadcaster for sponsored events that did not take place has ‘not been paid back’.
Mr Tubridy previously agreed to pay back the amount as part of an agreement for him to return to air.
However, the DG told the committee that RTÉ has asked Mr Tubridy if he is going to repay the money, but ‘there’s been no progress on that’.
‘As you know, we have no legal basis, unfortunately [to pursue it]’ Mr Bakhurst said.
Mr Bakhurst said that a salary cap of €250,000, introduced after the Tubridy scandal, has been implemented.
‘Every single presenter that we have negotiated since I announced that has come in at a level below that. And as I say, when other presenters’ contracts come up, they will also come in at that level or below,’ he said.
MATTIE McGRATH WANTS TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE LOYAL TO
Independent TD for Tipperary Mattie McGrath repeated his question, which had been misheard at a previous committee meeting to Mr Bakhurst: ‘Who are ye loyal to?’
The director general insisted that RTÉ ‘are loyal to the audience and accountable to the Oireachtas’.
‘Codswallop,’ Mr McGrath, pictured, retorted.
Mr McGrath also queried why Deloitte had been reappointed as RTÉ’s auditors, given the issues that the broadcaster had around concealed finances.
‘Are you really keeping them on now… is it better to keep the chickens in the house, and keep the rooster away from them?’
Mr McGrath claimed it was a ‘cosy cartel in there with the auditors and the senior officials’.
Mr Bakhurst rejected this suggestion.