Taoiseach backs Catherine Martin as TDs seek to 'draw a line under' RTÉ saga

Leo Varadkar reaffirms his full confidence in the media minister ahead of her grilling by the media committee on Tuesday

Media Minister Catherine Martin is to come before the Oireachtas Media Committee on Tuesday to discuss the circumstances around Siún Ní Raghallaigh's resignation from RTÉ. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

The Government plans to appoint a new chairperson of the RTÉ board as soon as next week, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said.

Mr Varadkar also expressed full confidence in Media Minister Catherine Martin, who has been under pressure following the resignation of the former chairwoman, Siún Ní Raghallaigh. 

“I have full confidence in Minister Martin, a difficult job at the moment but she’s handling her brief extremely well,” Mr Varadkar said.

“We intend to appoint a new chairperson of the RTÉ board as soon as possible, certainly, if we can do it next week.”

Mr Varadkar said Ms Martin had been in a “no-win situation” when she went on Prime Time last week and declined to express confidence in Ms Ní Raghallaigh.

He said: She“[Ms Martin] felt that she couldn’t fully rely on the information being given to her by the former chairperson of the board.”

TDs and senators will look to “draw a line under” last week’s developments at RTÉ when Ms Martin appears at the Oireachtas media committee today. 

Ms Ní Raghallaigh resigned some hours after Ms Martin refused to express confidence in her as head of the RTÉ board during an interview on Prime Time.

The minister said she had been misinformed on two occasions about Ms Ní Raghallaigh’s involvement in approving an exit package for a former RTÉ executive.

However, that has sparked a tit-for-tat between the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport, Gaeltacht and Media and RTÉ as both sides made claims about what had been conveyed to the department about the process of signing off on exit packages for top executives.

Oireachtas media committee chairwoman Niamh Smyth told the Irish Examiner she hopes the hearing can finish this part of the RTÉ saga.

“I’m hoping to draw a line under the events of the last week. Her officials were briefed [on aspects of the pay deals], so we’ll try to establish what is being told to whom. 

We’ll also be asking if Dee Forbes got a package, for example. But what will draw a line under this will depend on the context of the answers.

"The question for me is, what will move this forward?”

Ms Smyth said that it is critical that Ms Martin appoint a replacement for Ms Ní Raghallaigh.

“I would like to see RTÉ have leaders, it’s critical at this point. We don’t want any more collateral damage. We [the committee] will be making it clear that those lapses cannot happen again.”

The hearing comes as the Dáil’s public accounts committee (PAC) finalises a report which is expected to recommend tighter controls on RTÉ finances and the resumption of oversight on the station by the Comptroller and Auditor General.

However, Labour senator and PAC member Marie Sherlock   said the minister’s story “has been dismantled by everything that has been published over the weekend”. 

She said Ms Martin’s appearance on last Thursday’s Prime Time had made the controversy at RTÉ worse.

“I’m not sure how much she will offer [at the PAC hearing]. I remain bewildered about what led to the breakdown between the minister and the chair. It feels like questions were being asked months afterwards that should have been asked in October. Why would any minister exacerbate a controversy which has gone on for too long?”

As well as the Taoiseach, Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe weighed in to offer his backing to Ms Martin yesterday. 

Asked if she would still be in place at the end of the week, he replied: “Minister Martin has the full support of myself, our Cabinet colleagues and the party leaders.”