Cianan Brennan: After a tumultuous week, RTÉ can expect no let-up in the days ahead
Whether or not Mr Tubridy and Mr Kelly themselves will be either invited or would attend either committee is not yet known, though one committee source said that to do so would not be necessary as 'they are both private individuals. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie
It has been the most tumultuous week in RTÉ’s history.
After nine hours of scrutiny at two separate Oireachtas committees over the undeclared payments to presenter Ryan Tubridy, the broadcaster’s board and executive could be forgiven for hoping that the worst has passed.
That is not likely, however. This is a scandal that could run and run, not least because of the sheer presence of the organisation in Irish people’s lives.
For starters, RTÉ’s senior executives can expect to be hauled back in front of the media committee next Wednesday for further grilling.
From that point of view, RTÉ has been given until Tuesday at noon to furnish the various documents relating to Mr Tubridy’s contracts and the controversial RTÉ barter account – described as a ‘slush fund’ repeatedly at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday.
It appears the PAC itself will take a week off to digest the information it itself has requested of RTÉ – including details of the broadcaster’s top 100 earners and 20 years’ worth of transactions from the barter account.
The committee has also requested a copy of a note taken by an RTÉ solicitor regarding a 2020 online Teams meeting between Tubridy agent Noel Kelly and former director general Dee Forbes, at which RTÉ had agreed to underwrite the commercial deal with Renault worth €75,000 per annum.
Going by what was said at PAC by RTÉ’s head of legal, the broadcaster is reluctant to release that document.
Committee chair Brian Stanley was adamant about one thing on Friday evening – he now fully intends to compel Ms Forbes, Mr Tubridy and Mr Kelly to attend the committee - assuming they won’t do so voluntarily - telling Newstalk he believes “we’ve a strong enough hand to do it”.
He added that wholesale change of the RTÉ executive will be required in order to tame the scandal.
The external review of RTÉ commissioned by media minister Catherine Martin is meanwhile due to have its terms of reference finalised in the coming days ahead of next Tuesday's Cabinet meeting.
Finally, with current RTÉ CFO Richard Collins telling the PAC that Dee Forbes may have “defrauded” the taxpayer, a Garda investigation is now a distinct possibility, albeit one which could only commence on foot of an official complaint.
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