Two long-awaited reports into RTÉ are delayed yet again
GOVERNMENT-commissioned reports into how RTÉ is run have been further delayed and are not expected to be published until the end of next month at the earliest, the Irish Mail on Sunday has learned.
Staff at the beleaguered national broadcaster this weekend complained that the continued delay is hampering efforts to reform the crisisplagued company.
It is now nine months since the two reports were commissioned by Media Minister Catherine Martin. Since then, several deadlines have been missed, including the latest one which expired this week.
A Government source said it will likely be the end of April before the overdue reports are finally published.
The source told the MoS: ‘There is nothing imminent and there won’t be. It will likely be another four weeks at least.’
The latest delays come as the new chair of the RTÉ board, Terence O’Rourke, presided over his first meeting on Thursday night.
It had been envisaged the reports would have been completed before he began his tenure as the replacement to Siún Ní Raghallaigh, who resigned amid the controversy over exit payments made to departing RTÉ executives.
After the meeting, a board spokesman said the board had no public comment to make.
One senior RTÉ staff member told the MoS: ‘These reports were due to be delivered in January, then the end of February, then the end of March and now we’re hearing that nothing will happen for another few weeks.
‘Meanwhile, we’re all wondering – what’s the plan for RTÉ? What’s the DG’s vision? And everyone’s sitting on their hands.
‘Catherine Martin’s handling of the Ní
Raghallaigh [exit] was a fiasco. This is another one. It’s a hopeless performance from her,’ the staff member said.
Another staff member added: ‘This is a hurdle that has to be jumped before anything can happen. The delay is inexcusable. It’s rubbish. Is this the best they [Ms Martin’s department] can do?
‘The atmosphere at RTÉ continues to be at rock bottom. Everyone wants to turn a corner. ‘Talks about how the organisation is going to be funded can’t begin until these reports are in and that’s affecting every single thing that happens in RTÉ.’
Ms Martin’s department couldn’t confirm when the reports would be published when contacted by the MoS this week. A spokesman said: ‘It is expected they will be submitted to the minister in due course along with the Mazars final report, which the minister has already said will be released together with those reports.’ Asked to comment on the delays, an RTÉ spokesman said: ‘RTÉ looks forward to the publication of the reports, and the publication of its new strategy thereafter, critical for the stabilisation and renewal of vital public service media in Ireland.’