RTÉ sports staff 'not happy' about Newstalk presenter Ger Gilroy coming aboard, broadcaster admits

RTÉ's Head of Sport Declan McBennett was informed four days before the appointment was announced, the Oireachtas Media Committee heard

Ger Gilroy helmed Off the Ball on Newstalk for more than 24 years, becoming its managing director in 2018, before joining RTÉ to host the new daily podcast Howler.

RTÉ's sports department was "not happy" that former Off The Ball presenter Ger Gilroy was approached to host a new RTÉ sports podcast, the broadcaster has told an Oireachtas Committee.

Controversy has surrounded the appointment of the popular presenter and whether or not RTÉ had "poached" him from Newstalk. Mr Gilroy told The Irish Times in an interview last week that he had been approached by RTÉ’s head of podcasts, Hugh Ormond, a former Newstalk colleague, about joining RTÉ.

Mr Gilroy helmed Off the Ball on Newstalk for more than 24 years, becoming its managing director in 2018, before joining RTÉ to host the new daily podcast Howler.

Speaking at Wednesday's Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport Committee, RTÉ's Head of Audio Patricia Monaghan said that Mr Gilroy was "the most appropriate candidate" following a process internally.

Senator Evanne Ní Chuillín asked Ms Monaghan if RTÉ's Head of Sport Declan McBennett had been included in the process. Ms Monaghan said that he had been informed four days before the appointment was announced. She said that Mr Ormond had led the team which decided that Mr Gilroy was the most appropriate candidate.

Ms Ní Chuillín said that in the first two weeks of the podcast, there were no female voices on the podcast, which she said "is not public service broadcasting". Ms Monaghan said that she had fed back to the podcast team on that issue in the first week.

Deputy Director General Adrian Lynch admitted the sports department "was not happy" about the appointment because of comments Mr Gilroy has made in the past criticising the broadcaster's sports coverage.

Senator Alison Comyn asked RTÉ Director General, Kevin Bakhurst, about RTÉ's voluntary redundancy scheme, with 41% having been carried out thus far. 

Mr Lynch, answering due to Mr Bakhurst's loss of his voice, said that the broadcaster is seeking a longer duration for the next scheme. He said that he is confident that the scheme will be completed by 2029. 

He said that RTÉ's pay bill has come down by "around €7.5m", with an average exit cost of €126,000 per staff member.

RTÉ appeared before the committee to discuss a €20m cut to its agreed funding in last month's Budget, with Fianna Fáil's Chap Cleere asking if the cut had ever been raised in meetings with the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport. 

Mr Lynch and Mr Bakhurst said that they meet the Department every six weeks and the issues never came up, and they had discovered the shortfall three hours before the Budget.

Secretary General of the Department, Fergal O'Coighligh, said that details of the Budget could not be revealed before it became public. 

He said that it had not been the preference of Minister Patrick O'Donovan to cut the funding of RTÉ. He added that RTÉ had not been quick enough to make staff redundant or institute pay bands for presenters.