Minister for Communications Peter Burke has said he wants to resolve the funding issue at RTÉ by the end of the year.
RTÉ was allocated €240 million in October’s Budget – a €20m shortfall from what was agreed between the broadcaster and the Government in a multi-year funding deal.
In the hours after the Budget was announced, Minister Patrick O’Donovan said that he was not happy with the pace of reform at RTÉ, including the voluntary exit scheme.
Minister Burke has taken on temporary responsibility for the functions of the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport as Minister O’Donovan recovers from illness.
Mr Burke said he hopes to bring a memorandum to Cabinet in the “next couple of weeks” stressing however, that the Government needs to ensure that the programme of reform at RTÉ “is going at pace”.
“We obviously need to ensure that reforms are taking place,” he said.
Mr Burke said it is “very important” from his perspective as a minister that everything that was committed to is being carried out in full.
“Ultimately, there were many targets brought forward by the national broadcaster, and we need to ensure that those targets are met,” he said.
“That we are getting those efficiencies, that we are ensuring that money is spent appropriately.”
Mr Burke said once he is satisfied in that regard, he will engage with RTÉ’s Director General, the Chairperson of the Board and Government leaders regarding funding.
“Hopefully, that we can get that resolved this year,” he said.
“I’ll be looking forward to bringing a memorandum to Cabinet in the next couple of weeks with reform.
“That would be important to demonstrate to my colleagues and give confidence at the heart of Government as well that reform has taken place.”
PAC seeks more information on Gilroy appointment
Meanwhile, the Dáil Public Accounts Committee will write to RTÉ to seek more information on the appointment of broadcaster Ger Gilroy.
Yesterday, the Media Committee heard that RTÉ’s sports department was “actually not happy” with the appointment of Mr Gilroy because of comments he made about RTÉ Sport in the past.
The broadcaster was before the Oireachtas Committee on Media following the Government’s decision to withhold funding from it.
It also defended its recruitment process in Mr Gilroy’s appointment, and rejected assertions by TDs and senators that he had been “head-hunted”.
However, this morning the Public Accounts Committee heard that unanswered questions remain around staffing arrangements at RTÉ.
Fianna Fáil TD Séamus McGrath said the committee wants to hear “clearly” the process that was followed in hiring Mr Gilroy.
He said the questions raised over Mr Gilroy’s recruitment “go beyond one individual”.
“They raise wider questions about recruitment practices at RTÉ and deserve a clear and comprehensive response,” he said.
He said he wants to see a full account of every recruitment undertaken by RTÉ so far this year.
“This is not about questioning the abilities of any individual appointed to RTÉ,” he said.
“It is about ensuring that proper procedures were followed, that opportunities were available fairly and that decisions can be clearly accounted for.
“We have heard repeated commitments to greater transparency and reform at RTÉ. It is important that those commitments are reflected in the organisation’s recruitment practices.”
‘Serious question marks’ over staff reduction
Mr McGrath also said that there were “serious question marks” around the staff reduction programme.
“They need to achieve just over 300 reductions over the coming years, which I think will prove very, very difficult,” he said.
Social Democrats TD Aidan Farrelly raised concerns over the decision by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport to withhold funding from the broadcaster.
Mr Farrelly asked: “How is it possible for a department to renege on an already committed to level of funding?”
He said the funding commitment was in “clear black and white”.
He said how RTÉ officials answered questions around recruitment in a previous sitting of the committee was at “complete odds with what has come out in the last couple of days”.
“If that’s the way organisations are approaching their appearances here, I would be concerned,” he said.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) Séamus McCarthy said he is “limited” in what he can say about RTÉ before he becomes its auditor.
The committee heard that the legislation to bring RTÉ under control of the C&AG has not yet been enacted.
PSC chairperson Sinn Féin TD John Brady said RTÉ and the department will be before members in the coming weeks.
He criticised the “bizzarre chain of events” that followed the Budget, saying it is “tying up the work of the committee”.
“It was quite clear that the money was going to be paid. It’s unfortunate. It has caused huge issues,” said Mr Brady.
