RTÉ’s incoming Director General Kevin Bakhurst is reportedly set to make some “change announcements”.
On Thursday, he met with Minister for Media Catherine Martin, RTÉ Board Chair Siún Ní Raghallaigh and interim deputy Director General Adrian Lynch to discuss his restructuring plans for the broadcaster when he takes over the office of Director General on Monday.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: “I think we need to see change in RTÉ; without change, I don’t think that trust can be restored.”
“I spoke to Minister Martin just yesterday and she filled me in on her meeting with the new DG and the chairperson,” Mr Varadkar continued.
“I understand that the new Director General Kevin Bakhurst is going to make some announcements on Monday in relation to changes to the organisation, the way the management is structured and also is going to deal with issues around conflicts of interest.”
“Certainly I am very reassured in what he has said to Government and its important that he be allowed to set out those plans on Monday, to talk to staff first and to inform the wider nation about some of the changes he’s going to make – and he’s going to make them quickly.”
The Taoiseach revealed his hopes that the public still pay their €160 TV licence fee.
Mr Varadkar said: “I hope people will still pay the TV licence. I certainly will. Not just because it’s the law, but because it funds so much valuable broadcasting.”
“Whether it’s the news, sports, Irish language programming, drama, children’s TV, the RTÉ archives. That’s the value in this and we shouldn’t lose sight of that.”
“It does need to be overhauled, it’s a really old-fashioned way of collecting revenue based on ownership of a TV, a device that many people just don’t have any more.”
“And of course, almost all the money goes to RTÉ, even though there are many other bodies involved in public service broadcasting.”
“I think the reform is long overdue and I want that to happen during this Government,” Mr Varadkar continued.
“I can see the political temptation to put it off for another government or another Dáil, but I do not want to do that, I want to get it done and I want to make sure we have a new system up and running during the lifetime of this Government.”
RTÉ was plunged into chaos when it was revealed that Ryan Tubridy’s earnings were publicly understated by €345,000 over the last six years.
The issue was identified during a routine audit of RTÉ’s 2022 accounts, prompting an independent review of the matter.
The RTÉ Board issued an apology over the error, and later Ryan also apologised for not questioning RTÉ over his published earnings.
The scandal resulted in the suspension of RTÉ’s Director General Dee Forbes, who later resigned from her role.
Last Wednesday, the RTÉ Board and executives arrived at Leinster House to provide evidence to the joint committee on tourism, culture, arts, sport and media amid the ongoing scandal.
The following day, they arrived at Leinster House once again, this time to face questioning from the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee.
During the initial hearing, it emerged that RTÉ underwrote a commercial sponsorship of Ryan by Renault.
RTÉ labelled invoices of €75,000 payments as “consultancy fees” and the now-infamous barter account was used to pay them.
Notably absent from Leinster House on both occasions were Ryan, his agent Noel Kelly and former Director General Dee Forbes.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar called on the three parties to appear before an Oireachtas Committee.
Ryan and Noel later offered to help the Oireachtas Media Committee next week with their inquiries into the payments scandal.
A letter from Hayes Solicitors, on behalf of its clients Ryan and Noel, sent to the chair of the media committee Niamh Smyth, stated: “Mr Tubridy and Mr Kelly wish to fully cooperate and assist with your Committee’s investigations”.
