Long-awaited RTÉ reports call for stronger oversight

Pressure now mounting on Coalition to make funding decision by July

LONG-AWAITED reports into RTÉ highlight lapses in governance and criticise previous external auditors at the broadcaster.

Media Minister Catherine Martin has presented three reports on the national broadcaster to Coalition party leaders – as the Government comes under pressure to make a funding decision by July.

The delayed reports commissioned by Tánaiste Micheál Martin 10 months ago are understood to highlight poor governance practices and recommend stronger oversight of executive operations in RTÉ.

The minister’s reviews are also understood to have said cultural change is needed at the station, and raised concerns about the effectiveness of its previous external auditors.

One report, completed by financial advisers Mazars, examined the use of the infamous RTÉ barter account, which funnelled purchases of nearly €5,000 worth of flip-flops for a summer party, and €111,000 on a client trip to Japan for the Rugby World Cup, and found it was mainly used for entertainment purchases.

While it’s understood the report says that no individual gained personally from the use of the barter account, the RTÉ board was not told about the decision to set up the account or about how it was used.

The two controversial payments of €75,000 each to the former Late Late Show presenter Ryan Tubridy were made through the barter account and pushed his salary to over half a million euro – a wage higher than RTÉ publicly disclosed.

Ms Martin said she received the reports at the weekend, and has given them to the three Coalition party leaders. She said the reports are ‘the only reports since this crisis emerged that will have and do have recommendations’.

The minister said while some recommendations are for RTÉ to address, there are also recommendations for the Government.

It is understood one recommendation is that the Government changes legislation to give RTÉ a sustainable funding model.

RTÉ has lost €25.3million since the scandal broke last year and more than 158,000 people decided not to renew their TV licences.

The Coalition is nearing its own deadline to decide on RTÉ’s future funding model, with a decision promised by July.

Ms Martin said of the recommendations: ‘I think it’s important that they would be positively received from RTÉ, so we can move forward. There is an onus on us [the Government] too.’

The minister said she would not comment on details of the reports before she discusses them with Cabinet. It’s understood the reports could go to Cabinet next week, but the minister has not decided when she will present them to the Government.

The reports are said to be ‘indepth’, with one said to run to 500 pages. A source said the three reports are ‘very distinct,’ but have ‘overarching connections’.

Ms Martin and Taoiseach Simon Harris had a meeting on the RTÉ saga last week. It is understood Ms Martin has been having ‘highlevel’ discussions in recent months, with two options for funding RTÉ – either from the Exchequer or a reformed TV licence – on the table. The expected €40million RTÉ bailout hangs on whether the recommendations of all reports are implemented at the station.

‘There is an onus on us too’