RETIREMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS... BUT WHO IS GONE FROM RTÉ’S BOARD AND WHO IS LEFT?
RTÉ internal committees there was to be a €300,000 profit based on ticket sales of Toy Show The Musical. This transpired to be far from the reality as projections kept from the RTÉ board showed it could not even break even. Breda O’Keeffe’s successor resigned in October 2023. PAYOUT: NOT CONFIRMED
RESIGNED RORY COVENEY DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY
Mr Coveney was with RTÉ since 2007 in a variety of roles, serving since 2011 as strategic adviser to the director general. He resigned in July after the full financial losses borne by RTÉ over Toy Show The Musical came to light. The brother of Minister for Enterprise Simon Coveney, he was the ‘driving force’ behind the flop. PAYOUT: YES BUT DETAILS NOT REVEALED
EARLY RETIREMENT GERALDINE O’LEARY COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR
She stepped down from her role in July 2023, announcing her retirement from the national broadcaster, just weeks before her planned official exit. Ms O’Leary made two appearances before Oireachtas committees last year, during which she defended the use of the ‘slush fund’ barter account for commercial purposes in a bid to lure advertisers and clients. PAYOUT: NOT CONFIRMED
ON SICK LEAVE
Took extended sick leave in early July 2023, when Mr
Bakhurst also confirmed that Jennings did not want to be part of a new board. He has not returned to his role in RTÉ since.
REMAINS EIMEAR CUSACK DIRECTOR, HUMAN RESOURCES
A member of the executive board in 2022, now a member of the interim board. Yesterday, she was questioned about signing off on the exit package for Ms O’Keeffe, which did not comply with RTÉ’s redundancy scheme but was approved by Ms Forbes. Ms Cusack said she was not afraid of Ms Forbes but indicated that she felt pressurised, and she was defended by Mr Bakhurst.
RESIGNED PAULA MULLOOLY DIRECTOR, LEGAL
She became a member of the interim board, but exited RTÉ at the end of 2023 for personal reasons. PAYOUT: NOT CONFIRMED
REMAINS RICHARD WAGHORN,
DIRECTOR, OPERATIONS, TECHNOLOGY AND TRANSFORMATION Member of the executive board in 2022, now a member of the interim board.
REMAINS
DEIRDRE McCARTHY, MANAGING DIRECTOR, RTÉ NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS Joined the executive board in December 2022, now a member of the interim board.
Top brass: Former RTÉ CFO Breda O’Keeffe and, far left, HR director Eimear Cusack