Media committee to seek answers on 'unusual' RTÉ car allowances

TDs and senators are expected to ask about so-called bogus contracts at the station as well as redacted exchanges between former Director Dee Forbes (pictured) and Noel Kelly of NK Management who represented Ryan Tubridy. File Photo

"Everything" will be on the table at Wednesday’s Oireachtas media committee meeting with RTÉ including “unusual” car allowances, committee members have said.

TDs and senators are expected to ask about so-called bogus contracts at the station as well as redacted exchanges between former Director Dee Forbes and Noel Kelly of NK Management who represented Ryan Tubridy.

Email exchanges spanning four months released on Monday show Mr Kelly chasing the controversial €75,000 payments. Several committee members will question how the Board was unaware of the issues that have emerged to date which happened “under their noses". 

There is also frustration that bosses didn’t approach staff for permission to publish their names and salaries. The committee had asked RTÉ for details of its 100 highest earners. However, the broadcaster said it would be “inappropriate” to ask.

Committee members are also expected to grill board members on car allowances, as it was revealed that payments are unvouched despite a separate document confirming that there is no requirement to have a driving licence.

The revelation emerged after 178 documents were sent by RTÉ to the media committee. Car allowances paid to 61 employees last year amounted to over €650,000. It is unclear how many staff members do not have a driving licence.

Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe said it is “unusual” that RTÉ staff are not required to hold a driving licence to receive a car allowance.

“It certainly sounds unusual that you could be in receipt of a car allowance and not have a driver’s licence but this is an issue that I’ll have to look into further.

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“This is a further example of why the work the NewEra will do in relation to auditing the financial needs for RTÉ will be so important for the government,” he said.

The broadcaster's use of Soho House in London is also to be discussed after a note revealed that the exclusive club was used just twice since 2019. The broadcaster spent €6,009 on three years’ worth of membership of the exclusive members club from 2019 to 2021.

The note revealed that RTÉ’s commercial director Geraldine O'Leary, along with a member of the Commercial Department, stayed in Soho House for two nights in total since 2019. A spokesperson for RTÉ said the exclusive membership has since been cancelled in July and will not be renewed.

RTÉ funding

Meanwhile, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said his party has consistently come out in favour of a media charge collected by Revenue to replace the TV licence. He said the alternative is charging people through general taxation.

But he warned that any funding model needs to respect the independence necessary between government and media. "We do need public service content. Otherwise, we end up with Fox News, GB News and a variety of algorithms determining our news feed."

Meanwhile, junior minister Patrick O’Donovan said RTÉ has “some neck” to request interim funding saying “they have been the authors of their own destiny”.

Speaking on RTÉ’s News at One, Mr O’Donovan suggested selling the Donnybrook site which he said could be valued “north of €300m”.

“If Virgin Media can broadcast out of an industrial estate in Ballymount, it begs the question why is RTÉ broadcasting out of probably one of the most lucrative sites in western Europe,” he said.