Catherine Martin under pressure over RTÉ tit-for-tat

Catherine Martin is facing intense pressure after being accused of “effectively a summary dismissal” of Ms Raghallaigh live on TV. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

A row has developed between RTÉ and the Media Minister Catherine Martin over whether she was informed about a controversial exit package for a former senior executive at the station.

Ms Martin has sided with her former top civil servant in a tit-for-tat while the board has firmly backed the former RTÉ board chair, Siún Ní Raghallaigh

The minister is facing intense pressure after being accused of “effectively a summary dismissal” of Ms Raghallaigh live on TV.

While ministers have publicly rowed behind Ms Martin, privately a number of senior cabinet ministers were highly critical of her handling of the debacle to date.

“Her reputation has gone up in flames,” a Cabinet source said:

Director General Kevin Bakhurst and the full RTÉ Board have backed Ms Ní Raghallaigh’s version of events despite Ms Martin insisting she was “misinformed” and contradicting what happened.

The Government is now looking for a new chair after Ms Ní Raghallaigh was put in a position where “she felt that she had no option but to resign” according to the board following the minister's failure to express confidence in her on Thursday night's Prime Time.

The Government is now looking for a new chair after Siún Ní Raghallaigh was put in a position where “she felt that she had no option but to resign”. Picture: Leah Farrell / © RollingNews.ie

RTÉ have said Ms Ní Raghallaigh told the now former secretary general at the Department of media, Katherine Licken, on October 10 that the board's remuneration committee had approved an exit package for former chief financial officer Richard Collins.

However, Ms Martin said having contacted Ms Licken, she said despite being informed by phone that the mediation process for Mr Collin’s exit package had reached a conclusion, she has “no recollection” of being told an exit package had been approved.

The RTÉ Board in a statement said the rules changed in September last year giving the remuneration committee a role which would see all changes to executive pay and terms approved by it.

The Board said Ms Martin’s department was informed of these details but the minister has said the letter her department received about the changes did not include sign off of termination packages hence why she “presumed that the board had no role whatsoever.”

Ms Martin also told RTÉ News that she received an apology from Ms Ní Raghallaigh at a meeting on Monday claiming she forgot to disclose that the former Director of Strategy Rory Coveney received an exit package. 

What's your view on this issue?

You can tell us here

She said she was told back in July that Mr Coveney had resigned but she said the former chair “had the information that it was not a straightforward resignation.”

However, Mr Bakhurst and the full RTÉ Board are united that Ms Ní Raghallaigh followed the “correct process” in informing the minister about Mr Collins’ exit package.

Speaking to reporters at government buildings, Ms Martin said she was "deeply disappointed" that the Chair "had not given her accurate information" in relation to exit packages for RTÉ executives. 

She said she asked direct questions of Ms Ní Raghallaigh during two meetings earlier this week but failed to get straight answers.

The Board has requested a meeting with the Minister at the earliest opportunity.