Fresh crisis in RTÉ: Chair ‘spoke on the phone’ with now retired official about exit package

Media Minister Catherine Martin accused the chair of failing to tell her she approved a golden handshake for an executive.

But Ms Ní Raghallaigh insisted she had informed the minister’s officials of the payoff deal last October.

The former RTÉ chair spoke with the then Department of Media secretary general on October 10, informed sources say.

The secretary general Katherine Licken retired from her role last month.

“They spoke on the phone. This was someone with whom Siún had frequent contact. This was a pivotal relationship in terms of trying to keep the ship stable,” a senior source told the Irish Independent.

Ms Martin’s officials cannot say if the department was told about former chief financial officer Richard Collins departure.

RTÉ has been plunged into yet another major crisis after board chair Siún Ní Raghallaigh dramatically resigned in the early hours of Friday morning.

Last night, Media Minister Catherine Martin said she was twice misinformed about the RTÉ board approving the package for Mr Collins.

She accused the chair of failing to tell her she approved a golden handshake for an executive.

Following this TV appearance, Ms Ní Raghallaigh resigned just before 1am on Friday morning, but insisted she had informed the minister’s officials of the payoff deal last October.

“I informed the Department about the process which led to Richard’s departure from RTÉ, on October 10th, the day after it was approved at the Remuneration Committee,” she said in a statement.

“I no longer have the confidence of the Minister in my role as Chair of the Board of RTÉ and that, as such, my position is no longer tenable,” she added.

Calls to resign

Now, the Labour Party has called on Media Minister Catherine Martin to resign.

Senator Marie Sherlock said outgoing RTÉ Board Chair Siún Ní Raghallaigh's statement shows Minister Martin "was in fact" kept informed of the exit packages of former RTÉ executives.

Senator Sherlock said Minister Martin's position is now untenable.

“Ní Raghallaigh’s statement suggests that the Department has a written record of notification from the Board following the remuneration committee’s approval of exit packages," Senator Sherlock said.

“This must be published in full immediately."

“The Media Minister is the protector of RTÉ but crucially, the Minister should be the protector of the public purse," she added.

“The Taoiseach and the Tánaiste must now reflect on the Media Minister’s handling of this whole debacle, and ask, is she the person to ensure that necessary reforms take place in RTÉ that will be crucial to its survival, and is she the person who can restore public trust in the State broadcaster?”

Senator Sherlock said she was "very concerned" when Minister Martin was unable to ask people to pay their TV licenses at the start of the scandal.

“At the outset of this crisis, I was very concerned by the Minister’s failure to call for people to unequivocally pay their tv licences. This revenue stream has since dramatically reduced."

Minister Martin followed Ms Ní Raghallaigh’s resignation notice with a statement thanking her for her services this morning.

“I wish to thank Siún Ní Raghallaigh for her service as Chair of the Board of RTÉ at a time of unprecedented crisis at the national broadcaster. Her contribution to the process of reform and transformation underway in the organisation has been hugely significant; and her hard work and commitment to public service broadcasting must be acknowledged,” she wrote.

She continued: “At this critical time for RTÉ, it is imperative that we continue the important process of restoring trust in the organisation. As Ms Ní Raghallaigh stated, there is an urgent need for the transformation process to continue and a sustainable funding model put in place – I am deeply committed to this.”

The youth wing of Fine Gael, Young Fine Gael, also called on Minister Martin to resign.

"Catherine Martin’s handling of the RTÉ debacle has been abysmal from the start. Time for her to resign," said a statement from the group.

Primetime

However, on Thursday evening, the minister refused to express confidence in the RTÉ chair. The minister had summoned the chair to a meeting on Friday morning before her resignation statement early on Friday morning.

Ms Martin said she was twice misinformed about the RTÉ board approving the package for former chief financial officer Richard Collins.

The minister wrote to the chair and “expressed my disappointment” at being told twice the board did not approve the package.

She says she was given misinformation on two occasions this week.

“I am deeply disappointed,” she said.

Ms Martin said it had been her understanding that the board had no role in two exit packages paid last year.

“I was assured by the chair that it was the case,” she said on RTÉ’s Primetime.

The minister said she checked twice this week on the board’s involvement.

“I again queried was there 100pc certainty,” she said.

The minister said she only learned on Thursday morning of the board’s involvement.

"(I found) out this morning that it was the incorrect information, that it was indeed approved by the remuneration committee in which the chair sits, and indeed chairs of that committee,” Ms Martin said.

“That is of concern because the Minister for Media must be in possession of the facts of the exact information, especially in a time of crisis and controversy like this.

“I would like to say though that Siún Ní Raghallaigh has done incredible work since she come on as chair, I think, especially since this crisis erupted.

“But I do feel I need to meet Siún to just talk through exactly how this arose. How could I be misinformed on these two occasions?

“It’s not satisfactory. I’ve always said that my direct line of communication in relation to RTÉ is through the chair of the board. So I am deeply disappointed with this.

“I’ve written to the chair this evening, and I’ve asked to meet her tomorrow to discuss this.”

Exit packages

Last week, RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst said there was a new process in place for the approval of exit packages. He contrasted that with previous arrangements, such as the €450,000 payment to former chief financial officer Breda O’Keeffe.

“I was not at RTÉ at this stage, but I have obviously heard discussions, read the documents and interrogated some of the answers.

I feel that neither the board nor the full executive were furnished with information they should have been. This is what I have tried to address now at RTÉ. These discussions were had in silos with a small group of people.

“The procedures were not followed. The board was not given the information it should have been on a standard basis, but especially when it specifically asked for pieces of information and was not given them. All I can say is my perception, from what I know now, is that whether it was deliberate, inadvertent or loosely run, this would not happen now. We have tightened up procedures. I would not stand for it. If the board asks for information from me now it gets it. I want to make that clear because it is only fair to the board members here,” he said.

Defence

Speaking this morning on RTÉ Radio One, Justice Minister Helen McEntee said Media Minister Catherine Martin had committed to doing an interview which she had “stuck with last night” to simply outline the facts that transpired earlier this week.

“She outlined the facts of the meeting and conversations she had and she said very clearly that she needed and wanted to speak with Siún Ní Raghallaigh to discuss further some of the information that had come to light today,” Ms McEntee told Morning Ireland.

She stressed that Minister Martin “did not dismiss” the former RTÉ Chair and that she stated the “huge amount of work” she has done over the last number of months.

Oireachtas Media Committee member FF Senator Malcolm Byrne said he is not "overly happy" with the handling of the latest crisis facing RTÉ.

He said Minister Martin should have not gone on Prime Time ahead of her meeting with Ms Ní Raghallaigh.

"If it does transpire that the Department was aware of the process surrounding Richard Collins’ exit package, this brings the Department into this dispute," he said.

"Siun Ni Raghallaigh is a dedicated public servant and has been honest and competent in her dealings with our committee. She and Kevin Bakhurst are trying to reform a very difficult organisation."