Simon Coveney refuses to say how much money his brother Rory received when he left RTÉ

But he called on people to pay their €160 TV licence fee “because it’s the law.”

The reported exit package of Mr Coveney, estimated at €200,000, is equivalent to 1,250 TV licence fees.

The minister was asked at a Fine Gael selection convention for the European elections to state how much his brother received.

Speaking to reporters, it was suggested to Mr Coveney that Fine Gael politicians, including the Taoiseach, had called for the disclosure of all such RTÉ exit amounts.

He replied: “For a number of months now, I've made it clear that I'm not participating in discussion in Cabinet on it and the various different crises that they've been dealing with.

“And I haven't been making public comment on it either apart from general statements in relation to supporting the need for public service broadcasting in Ireland.”

He was asked to answer the original question, but said: “I have stayed out of debates and there are more than enough politicians to make comment in relation to RTÉ so I'm not going to change that position today.’

To the suggestion that it was incumbent on him to either tell the public the figure his brother received from the taxpayer or to resign from Cabinet, Mr Coveney said: “No, I don't think that is a choice. My position has been clear and consistent for months that I've stayed out of the RTÉ debates publicly and in cabinet and for good reason.

“We have Oireachtas committees doing their work. We have a whole series of independent reviews that are underway. Some have already reported and some are to report in the next few weeks.

“And as I say, there's no shortage of people who are willing to comment in relation to what's needed in terms of transparency and accountability coming from RTÉ.”

Told that it was wanted from his brother too, Mr Coveney said that while he naturally spoke to his brother he did not know the amount involved.

Asked if it was his position was credible in claiming that he was not his brother's keeper, and yet he and the Government expect people to pay the TV licences and RTE to disclosure full details of the exit packages, Mr Coveney said: “My position is as I just outlined.”

He added: “I'm not going to publicly talk about the conversations I have with individual siblings.

Earlier, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said there should be “full transparency” when it comes to salaries and exit packages at RTÉ.

Mr Martin also said the sums of such packages should “correspond with norms” as controversy continues to swirl around the sums highly paid executives received when they left the broadcaster.

It was revealed this week that former RTÉ chief financial officer Breda O’Keeffe received an exit package worth €450,000 when she left her role under a voluntary exit scheme.

Former director of strategy Rory Coveney received an exit package upon his departure from the national broadcaster worth around €200,000.

Director General Kevin Bakhurst yesterday said in a statement that Mr Coveney’s role became redundant and an exit package offered by RTÉ was accepted.

"Rory Coveney and I agreed that it was best that he stand down from his role as Director of Strategy. This enabled the beginning of the restructuring of the leadership team and the suppression of his role,” Mr Bakhurst said.

"Responsibility for Strategy has passed to Adrian Lynch, with no additional compensation, in addition to his substantive role as Director of Audience, Channels and Marketing. Rory’s role became redundant, an exit payment was offered by RTÉ and accepted by Rory, and with no backfill being made RTÉ will recoup that payment by July of this year.”

Speaking to RTÉ’s This Week today, Mr Martin said he believes there should be “full transparency in terms of salaries and packages” at the broadcaster.

"My own view is as a general principle where any organisation is being funded by the public – via the licence fee in this case – and taxpayers money, there should be full transparency in terms of salaries and packages more generally,” he said, adding that “in the midst of all the noise” that RTÉ’s editorial independence should be respected and the broadcaster must rebuild trust in its governance and administration.

"I think the new director general is doing everything he possibly can to do that. I do believe in his bona fides in respect of that but as a general principle, I do believe that salaries and so forth and, indeed, packages should be fully transparent. The indications are that he certainly has legal constraints in these specific cases that is what he has indicated to the minister.”

Mr Martin said the payment to Mr Coveney did realise savings and such packages are often the result of “legal frameworks that govern employment and contracts” but those at RTÉ should “correspond with norms”.

He added that he is “always loathe to respond with particular policy initiatives without seeing the full consequences of them” and is conscious of the editorial independence of the broadcaster.

Meanwhile, Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns has said she is “surprised” the issue has arisen given months of calls for transparency and accountability at RTÉ.

"Quite honestly, it shouldn’t be arising again that there are leaks and bits of information and making guessing about how much exit packages are,” she said.

"Complete transparency is the only way that they will rebuild the trust for people and I think also I’d be making the call that Government need to come to a decision on how they’re going to proceed with the financing of our public service broadcaster because it’s very difficult for the organisation to move on without that information.

"There is only a number of options available to them. It’s really time to make that decision.”