Bakhurst to seek legal advice on disclosing further details of RTÉ exit packages

RTE director general Kevin Bakhurst arrives at Leinster House, Dublin.

RTÉ’s Director General Kevin Bakhurst is to seek legal advice in relation to the disclosure of further details of individual exit packages from the national broadcaster.

Mr Bakhurst made the commitment to Media Minister Catherine Martin after they spoke by phone following the latest revelation at an Oireachtas committee that former Chief Financial Officer Breda O’Keeffe received €450,000 when she left RTÉ.

A spokesperson for Ms Martin said she spoke to Mr Bakhurst on Thursday evening and she “emphasised the need for maximum transparency, particularly in respect of exit packages". The spokesperson said: “As this concerns public funding, and transparency is in the public interest, she believes this is of paramount importance as we seek to rebuild trust in the national broadcaster and ultimately in public service media.

“He has committed to seeking updated legal advice in relation to the disclosure of details of individual exit packages.” 

It comes as Fine Gael TD Alan Dillon has asked RTÉ to disclose details of all exit packages.

Mr Dillon has written to the Clerk of the Oireachtas Media Committee, of which he is a member, to request information on all exit package payouts from the chair of the RTÉ Board, Siún Ní Raghallaigh.

He said: “Yesterday’s development that RTÉ former Chief Financial Officer Breda O’Keefe received €450,000 as part of an exit package, that was not approved by the executive board has thrown up further questions about unacceptable practices at the broadcaster.

“Following yesterday’s committee hearing, I have requested information pertaining to all exit packages approved by RTÉ's executive management since our investigation into these payments began in June.

“Our objective is to ensure that all exit packages comply with the protocols and procedures of exit schemes, and that they were executed according to proper HR protocols.

“We are requiring the amounts and identities of each individual who has resigned or received an exit package in 2023.

“It is unacceptable that the Committee should wait until these figures are disclosed in RTÉ’s annual financial report whenever it is published with the information anonymised,” Mr Dillon said.

He said Mr Bakhurst is seeking to build a new culture of transparency and accountability when it comes to governance and financial practices at the broadcaster.

“We learned that RTÉ, which is grappling with financial problems, will be liable for any potential tax bill on Ms O’Keeffe’s payment," Mr Dillon said.

“For the reasons outlined, I believe the information requested must be provided to the Committee as it is a matter of public interest."

Earlier Tánaiste Micheál Martin said other mechanisms need to be examined to ensure former RTÉ staff who have not come before an Oireachtas committee investigating controversy at the broadcaster can give their account of events.

Former Director General (DG) Dee Forbes has not appeared before either the Public Accounts Committee or an Oireachtas media committee examining the scandal at RTÉ due to ill health.

Speaking in the Dáil during Leaders’ Questions, Mr Martin said he respects if people are ill. However, he said the Oireachtas or committees should look at “other mechanisms” by which people can give their account of what happened.

He said: “I would like to see everybody involved come before the Dáil committees and your Oireachtas committees. I respect if people have ill health. I respect that principle. But I think that we should look at other mechanisms by which people could give their account of what happened.”

On Wednesday, RTÉ Board member Anne O'Leary told the Oireachtas media committee that Ms Forbes and former Director of Strategy Rory Coveney "deliberately circumvented" established oversights in relation to Toy Show The Musical. The musical had a revenue loss of €2.2m.

Mr Martin was responding to Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty who said “people are sick to their back teeth of what is going on in RTÉ".

He said Rory Coveney, who was the “driving force” behind Toy Show the Musical, received a “secret golden handshake” at the taxpayers' expense. Mr Doherty said he wanted the Government to demand the information about Mr Coveney’s exit package be made public.

Mr Martin said there should be absolute full transparency and accountability to the public and said what has occurred at RTÉ is unacceptable. He said: “There should be no secrecy in respect of any package that any executive received from RTÉ.

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“I said there should be full transparency in respect of everybody who got a package from RTÉ. It’s my view that public monies, license fee money, taxpayers' money, that has to have full transparency in respect of any individual.

“And all such packages should be in accordance with proper frameworks, proper procedures, and controls that existed in an organization,” the Tánaiste said.

Mr Martin said RTÉ had controls and procedures in place that clearly “were not adhered to”. He added: “We need complete transparency and we do need accountability.” 

Mr Martin also criticised Sinn Féin’s proposal to offer an amnesty to people who have refused to pay their TV licence fee. “The hundreds of thousands of [people] down through the years who paid their licence fee, I mean, it's an incredible insult to them.

“'Fools you are to pay' is what you're saying to them. And basically, what does that mean for other bills that people pay? What you’re really saying to people is don’t bother paying your bills,” he said.