McGrath 'hopes and expects' Dee Forbes will come before Oireachtas after signing off accounts 

Mr McGrath was speaking after it emerged that Ms Forbes signed off last week on the annual accounts for the management company of the gated community in West Cork where she lives.

Dee Forbes has been unavailable to attend any of the Oireachtas hearings into the Tubridy pay controversies for 'medical reasons'.

Finance Minister Michael McGrath said he “hopes and expects” that former RTÉ director general Dee Forbes will come before an Oireachtas committee “as soon as she is well enough” to answer questions on the Ryan Tubridy payments controversy.

Mr McGrath was speaking in Cork on Monday after it emerged that Ms Forbes signed off last week on the annual accounts for the management company of the gated community in West Cork where she lives.

Mr McGrath has also confirmed that talks on an RTÉ bailout will take place over the coming weeks ahead of the budget, but he stopped short of commenting on reports that the cash-strapped national broadcaster may need up to €50m in interim funding.

Ms Forbes, who resigned as DG of RTÉ on June 26, is one of two directors of Cuan Dor Haven CLG, the management company for the 12 houses outside Glandore.

Since her resignation however, she has been unavailable to attend any of the Oireachtas hearings into the Tubridy pay controversies for “medical reasons”.

But it emerged over the weekend that she signed off on her community’s management company annual accounts last Wednesday.

Asked if now that she appears well enough to sign off company accounts, that she should make herself available to answer questions before an Oireachtas committee, Mr McGrath said that’s “a matter for her and for her medical advisors” as to when she is available and able for “what is a difficult and challenging environment”.

He said he would like everybody who has a contribution to make towards a full understanding “among politicians and among the public” of what happened at RTÉ to make themselves available “as and when they can”.

 Minister for Finance Michael McGrath: 'We would hope and expect that as soon as (Dee Forbes) is well enough to come before an Oireachtas committee and contribute to providing the answers that people want and need that she will do so.'

“My understanding is that she has been unable to do so because of ill health,” he said.

“I don't know the details of what has been signed off or not signed off in recent weeks by means of company accounts or reports and so on.

“But we would hope and expect that as soon as she's well enough to come before an Oireachtas committee and contribute to providing the answers that people want and need that she will do so — but I don't have any further information beyond that."

Mr McGath said she is "clearly somebody who has first-hand knowledge of many of the events that have been the subject of Oireachtas hearings in recent weeks".

So we do want to see her come before the Oireachtas committee but it is a matter for her and her medical advisors as to when she is fit and able to do so I don't want to add further pressure.

“But we do want to see her come before the committee but it's a matter for her medical advisors.” 

He declined to comment on reports that an RTÉ bailout could cost anything between €35m and €50m. However, he said the issue of interim funding for RTÉ will be the subject of pre-budget discussions over the coming weeks between the national broadcaster, Media Minister Catherine Martin and Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe.

“So we do have decisions to make over the period ahead,” he said.

“The budget is six weeks away at this stage and we recognise that there is going to be a significant interim funding ask by RTÉ.

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“So the way that will work is it will come up through the line department.

“Minister Martin will engage with New Era under the NTMA who will now advise on what may be an appropriate level of support to sustain the provision of core public service broadcasting. And then she will negotiate with my colleague, Minister Donohoe, on the expenditure side as part of the estimates.

“There will then be the wider more medium to long-term issue of ensuring there is a sustainable funding model into the future for RTÉ.

“And I think it's particularly in that context that we do want to see progress made in terms of the culture at RTÉ and the necessary reforms that the DG is now seeking to implement.”