Dáil Media Committee may compel RTÉ figures to appear before it
THE head of the Oireachtas Media Committee said the watchdog may seek the power to compel key RTÉ figures to appear before it.
Seeking powers of compellability is regarded as ‘the nuclear option’ when it comes to securing compliance with Dáil committees, and is a rarely used power. But committee chair Niamh Smyth told the Irish Mail on Sunday: ‘The refusal of certain people to attend is starting to turn things into a farce.
‘We have a responsibility to the public to conclude our work. It is making a mockery of those who have participated.
‘No one wants to use compellability powers, but I will be encouraging the committee to consider the option this week,’ she added.
The Media Committee will resume its interactions with RTÉ on Wednesday, with a meeting about the ‘transparency of RTÉ’s expenditure of public funds, governance issues and future funding challenges facing RTÉ’. Yesterday, our sister paper, the Irish Daily Mail, revealed that solicitors for former RTÉ director general Dee Forbes have said they will provide medical evidence – in the strictest confidence – to prove the former RTÉ chief is under medical and psychological care. Lawyers for Ms Forbes contacted the Media Committee this week to say she will be unable to appear before it for medical reasons, after repeated requests by the committee for her to answer questions about the crises at the station.
In response to the letter, Ms Smyth said: ‘Obviously, we will respect medical advice, but there are a number of others we are intent on recalling.’
Other former senior RTÉ figures who have refused to appear before the committee again include former head of strategy Rory Coveney and former finance boss Breda O’Keeffe. Former chair Moya Doherty has so far not responded to requests to appear again.
Fine Gael concerns are growing over the role of Mr Coveney, a brother of Enterprise Minister Simon Coveney. One senior party figure noted: ‘It is a problem if he turns up and if he doesn’t turn up.’
Ms Smyth stressed that accountability, ‘when it comes to attending [Oireachtas] committees, is not an à la carte option.’
Ms Smyth has also said Ms Forbes will be offered the opportunity to respond to questions virtually.
‘We are open to any means of extracting information, for example via a Microsoft Teams call,’ she said.
The chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Brian Stanley, also said that the Dáil spending watchdog would welcome Ms Forbes’ ‘appearance at any time in the future should she ever wish to give her side’.