Publication
Statement in relation to RTÉ by Minister Catherine Martin
From Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Published on
Last updated on
Today I briefed my Cabinet colleagues on the external review I am commissioning on governance and culture in RTÉ. I will finalise details of the review in the coming days and today’s press release sets out some initial detail.
As I have said before, the revelations from RTÉ this past week are unacceptable and damaging to both RTÉ and to public service broadcasting in general. Properly functioning public service media are critical to our democracy and our society.
Trust and confidence have been broken and it is essential that RTÉ puts the full facts on the public record as a matter of urgency, to avoid further damaging public trust.
This morning I wrote to the RTÉ chair to set out my expectation that the further Statement to be released by RTÉ today will address key questions that need to be answered. In particular, the public wants to know who signed off on the payments, who else was involved or aware of these transactions, and when will the further Grant Thornton report commissioned by RTÉ which relates to the understatement of the remuneration of RTÉ’s top paid presenter by €120,000 between 2017 and 2019 be completed.
At times of crisis, it is the failure to put all information on the record at the earliest possible juncture that does most damage. RTÉ must not now squander this opportunity to share everything that they know on this matter, in advance of the Oireachtas hearings later this week.