Government wants to see ‘years’ of financial records at RTÉ, says Paschal Donohoe

Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe has confirmed that the Government will seek years of financial information from RTÉ so that Ministers “can get to the bottom” of the controversy engulfing the national broadcaster.

It comes as the Public Accounts Committee looks set to issue formal invitations to appear to Ryan Tubridy and former director general Dee Forbes in the coming days. It is understood an invitation will be made to each first, and if the invitation is refused, powers to compel may be used. The decision is subject to full committee agreement later this week.

On Tuesday, the Cabinet will meet to give powers to an external reviewer to examine years of the national broadcaster’s financial records. Minister for Media Catherine Martin will also seek approval for the terms of reference of a new review into governance at the station, after it emerged that some €345,000 in hidden payments were made to Ryan Tubridy that were never declared in public statements.

Asked whether he supported moves to examine RTÉ's financial books in greater detail, Mr Donohoe said he did.

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“It does appear that we are going to need information that does stretch back more years than are currently available. There are issues being raised in relation to payments that are for a period that is longer than we currently have the information for. I would want all of that lengthier period to be covered off in that subsequent report that Minister Martin is going to receive in relation to pay policy in RTÉ.”

He also said the terms of reference to be agreed at Cabinet should be “over a long enough period for us to give confidence that we got to the bottom of what is going on”.

He said the period for such access will cover years rather than decades. Mr Donohoe also said any decision about the size of RTÉ in the future will have to be made on the basis of what is right for public broadcasting.

“On the question in relation to the number of people who will be working in RTÉ ... I’m really aware of the fact that we are talking about the jobs of a large number of people, virtually none of whom were involved in the issues that are causing such public concern at the moment. Whatever decisions are taken about the size and scale of RTÉ in the future will be driven by what is the right thing for public broadcasting in our country, and what is the right long-term plan for RTÉ overall.”

“We need to get to the bottom of what is going on at the moment within RTÉ. We need to establish the exact truth around how these issues developed. But I also believe we need a degree of proportionality in the debate and a degree of balance. I am concerned to read speculation regarding job losses and the presence of RTÉ in Cork. The way that proportionality and balance can be introduced is by the Government going ahead with its review and bringing its terms of reference which I believe will happen tomorrow, and by secondly allowing the Oireachtas to complete whatever investigations are appropriate.”

Asked if RTÉ licence fee reform would be paused until after the review is completed, Mr Donohoe indicated that the consideration around this would continue although he said the situation has been complicated.

“I would anticipate that that discussion would continue. We acknowledge there are funding challenges in relation to the future of media in our country. It is fair to say that the debate and discussion around the future funding of RTÉ has been made more complex. But we are going to need an RTÉ at the end of this.”

A Bill will go before the Seanad this week which would cap broadcasters’ salaries at the same level of a Cabinet minister. Asked if he supported caps, Mr Donohoe did not give a position.

“I can entirely understand why such a question is on the agenda at the moment, given what we have now learned across the last fortnight.

“I’m not in a position to say whether a cap should be needed or not ... but we have to have far, far more clarity and transparency regarding how existing pay policy is implemented.”