Future RTÉ exit packages should have financial cap, report finds 

Recommending pay caps, the expert advisory committee says that any exit payments, severance or early retirement programmes should be formally approved by the board “for the avoidance of any doubt”.

All future RTÉ exit packages should be formally approved by the board and should have a financial cap, an expert review of the national broadcaster has recommended.

The report also recommends that RTÉ should introduce and publish pay bands for on-air presenters, with calls for these bands to “reflect” the range of roles, skills and qualifications.

It is one of three reports published on Tuesday by Media Minister Catherine Martin into governance and accounting practices at the broadcaster.

One Government-commissioned report, which deals with HR and other matters, calls for RTÉ to go further on transparency for those earning the most within the organisation.

Recommending pay caps, the expert advisory committee says that any exit payments, severance or early retirement programmes should be formally approved by the board “for the avoidance of any doubt”.

It adds that financial caps on such schemes are “not unusual” and they should be considered in the “interests of full transparency”.

On RTÉ executives leaving the organisation on grounds of severance, redundancy or early retirement, it must have the full support of the Director General alongside approval by the remuneration committee of RTÉ’s board.

“This should occur prior to the parties entering into any legally binding agreement,” the report reads.

In particular, the report calls on the broadcaster to publish all details of remuneration, including “salaries, gifts and hospitality” alongside declarations of personal interests for senior leadership staff on more than €200,000 a year.

It also calls for the remuneration committee of the RTÉ board to “periodically review” the €200,000 disclosure cap.

The expert group also calls on RTÉ to report on progress towards all recommendations within its annual report each year.

Previously, director general Kevin Bakhurst had said no one at RTÉ would earn more than the DG's salary of €250,000 a year.

Self-employed contractors

On issues related to employees who were mishandled as self-employed contractors, the committee calls on RTÉ to “restore trust” and ensure that all employees have certainty in their status.

In particular, it recommends that there should be more intense engagement between RTÉ and the Department of Social Protection on whether or not the broadcaster should pay PRSI for those labelled as contractors.

It is understood that all the RTÉ reports have cost €574,000 to date.

Citing the next steps for RTÉ, the expert advisory committee calls on the national broadcaster to compile a plan on how it will implement these recommendations “as early as possible”.

This review of contractor fees, human resources and other matters was chaired by Brendan McGinty. A separate review of RTÉ’s governance and culture was prepared by Professor Niamh Brennan.

RTÉ said it has welcomed the publication of three reports by the Media Minister.

In a statement, RTÉ said that it accepts “in principle” the recommendations made in the two expert advisory committee reports.

The broadcaster said its board and the RTÉ’s interim leadership team will take time to fully review all three reports, including the recommendations.

RTÉ has begun a programme of works to deliver on the recommendations, it said.

RTÉ chairman Terence O’Rourke said: “RTÉ has supported both Expert Advisory Committees and Mazars in their work and we welcome the publication of their reports by Government today. Their analyses and their recommendations, all of which we accept in principle, will make a significant contribution to the task of rebuilding trust in RTÉ. RTÉ is tasked with providing a vital public service.

“The organisation’s corporate governance, transparency and operations must be of a standard commensurate with that mandate. The board is focused on returning RTÉ to levels of corporate governance and transparency that should define it. We look forward to working with Government, staff in RTÉ and all our stakeholders, in delivering the process of transformation that commenced last year.”

The cost of three reports has amounted to around €570,000 to date, however the cost is expected to reach as much as €1m as the department awaits confirmation of further invoices.