Union alarm at RTÉ crisis
NUJ members at RTÉ are alarmed at ongoing developments following last weeks revelations concerning secretive payments to top paid presenter, Ryan Tubridy.
This morning, 26th June 2023, director general, Dee Forbes, announced her resignation and in doing so made a series of assertions concerning the knowledge of other RTÉ executives regarding the arrangements with an agent acting for Mr Tubridy. In response, Séamus Dooley, Irish Secretary issued the following statement:
“In resigning Ms Forbes has raised several fundamental issues which give rise to serious questions which must be answered by RTÉ.
“Ms Forbes states that she led discussions with the agents for Ryan Tubridy “together with other RTÉ senior executives."
“It would now be appropriate for the chair of the RTÉ board to meet with each member of the executive board and to clarify their individual involvement, if any, in the process outlined by Ms Forbes including the extent of their knowledge of the arrangements put in place to facilitate additional payments to Mr Tubridy, their role in implementing the agreement and in decisions relating to the way the additional payments were concealed.
“ It would be a matter for the board to deal with the outcome of these meetings, having due regard to the need for due process, fair procedures, and the imperative of restoring trust in the executive board among staff, the members of the Oireachtas and the public”.
At the weekend, Media Minister, Catherine Martin, announced an external review of the culture within RTÉ which has been welcomed, in principle, by both the NUJ and the RTÉ group of unions. However, the union is concerned at the government's apparent intonation to halt public service broadcasting reforms pending completion of the lengthy review.
Statement from Séamus Dooley. NUJ concern at impact of delayed reform of public service broadcasting.