Government to receive interim report on RTÉ barter account this week 

Sources said a number of TDs were critical of Minister Martin’s “lack of visibility”, questioning her whereabouts and “lack of leadership” on the controversy. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

The Government is to receive an interim report into RTÉ’s barter account in the coming days.

It comes as TDs and senators privately criticised Media Minister Catherine Martin for being “missing in action” over recent developments about the national broadcaster.

Ms Martin has informed the Oireachtas media committee that a forensic accounting report by Mazars will be submitted this week and later published.

The media committee met virtually today and has invited RTÉ’s board, and its director general Kevin Bakhurst to appear before it for further questioning on September 13.

TDs and Senators also wrote to Ms Martin, who has accepted an invitation to appear before the committee in October. “The Minister will be announcing updates on RTÉ later this week and continues to work on a daily basis on related matters,” a spokesperson said.

Sources said a number of TDs were critical of Ms Martin’s “lack of visibility”, questioning her whereabouts and “lack of leadership” on the controversy.

Members also want Ms Martin to publish a technical group report she received on future funding models for the public-service broadcaster. It is understood Ms Martin will meet with RTÉ chairwoman Siún Ní Raghallaigh and Mr Bakhurst again this week.

Document deadline 

TDs and Senators have also decided to give RTÉ a deadline of September 8 to submit outstanding documentation requested by the committee since early July.

Fine Gael TD Alan Dillon said it is not acceptable that there is a delay to the documentation, which Mr Bakhurst told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) would be available by September 15.

The Grant Thornton report into the understatement of Ryan Tubridy’s pay found that the former Late Late Show host was unaware of the decision to adjust his earnings to reflect a €120,000 exit fee which he had waived. The report found that RTÉ had “in the balance of probabilities... made [adjustments] for the years 2017, 2018, and 2019 in order to allow for ‘revised earnings’ below a figure of €500,000 in each year”.

Politicians said they want to hear from RTÉ’s oversight board and members of the executive management team, particularly chief financial officer Richard Collins and director of human resources Eimear Cusack.

It is understood the media committee also wants deputy board member Ian Kehoe to appear before it and are also keen to hear again from the board’s chairperson, Siún ní Raghallaigh.

RTÉ has suffered another fall in TV licence revenue as new figures show sales fell by €554,000 in the third week of August, compared with the same week last year. TV licence sales for the third week of August were 9,041 compared with 12,507 for the same period in 2022, a drop of 27%, according to new data from the Department of Media.

In total, TV licence revenue is down nearly €5.1m since the broadcaster has been engulfed in controversy over secret payments to presenter Ryan Tubridy.