RTÉ: What is the financial scandal facing the broadcaster? 

Senior RTÉ executives face a fresh grilling by the Oireachtas media committee today after their meeting with the media minister yesterday. Here's why

RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst and deputy director general Adrian Lynch after their meeting with media minister Patrick O'Donovan yesterday. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

It seems that just three things in life are inevitable these days — death, taxes, and controversy at RTÉ.

There is déjà vu at Leinster House, as RTÉ executives are set to face a grilling from TDs and senators at the Oireachtas media committee today, Wednesday, about their accounting issues for the umpteenth time.

It all comes after the RTÉ executives met media minister Patrick O’Donovan yesterday afternoon. But what are the key questions that await the national broadcaster this afternoon?

Media minister Patrick O'Donovan speaking to media after yesterday's meeting with senior RTÉ executives. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

Why is RTÉ back in the news?

Like many of the controversies which have rocked the national broadcaster in recent years, it’s all about pay for presenters and how it has been accounted by RTÉ.

This issue emerged last Thursday, with revelations that presenter Derek Mooney had been left out of the top 10 presenters for several years, after he was reclassified as a producer.

With the revision, Mr Mooney placed eighth on an updated 2024 list, with earnings of just over €197,000, and seventh in 2025, where his earnings exceeded €202,000.

Separately, it also emerged that RTÉ paid a combined €97,000 to former presenters Claire Byrne and Ray D’Arcy after they finished working for the broadcaster in 2025.

What questions does RTÉ have to answer?

Chief among the questions RTÉ is likely to face is why it opted to reclassify Mr Mooney in the first place. Executives will also be quizzed on the decision to provide both Ms Byrne and Mr D’Arcy with payouts.

This may be particularly directed at the decision to pay Ms Byrne, who expressed a willingness to continue to work to the end of her contract, but RTÉ decided to press ahead with its revised schedule.

What have politicians said about the payment issue?

Taoiseach Micheál Martin criticised the controversy as being “unacceptable”.  In particular, Mr Martin said “the dogs in the wild” knew Mr Mooney was a presenter. Mr Martin said: 

I don’t believe the current management is laissez-faire. I do think they want to get a grip to this. 

"That’s my assessment."

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald called for the Government to “sort out” the issues at RTÉ.

After yesterday’s meeting, Mr O’Donovan said there was a positive engagement with RTÉ, and he would take the broadcaster at its word that there are no other “landmines” to be aware of.

He said, however, that RTÉ should consider including pay earned by presenters for independent productions alongside their salaries paid by the broadcaster in the annual declarations.

What has RTÉ said?

Speaking on his way out of a meeting with Mr O’Donovan, RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst described the controversy around Mr Mooney as being a “one-off”.

Asked if he could guarantee there were no other issues with presenters being reclassified, Mr Bakhurst said: “Yes, we’ve gone through that. In fact, I went through the list in some detail today with the minister and the officials to demonstrate there are no other names.”

Mr Bakhurst said it was “frustrating” to run into issues like this, but it was his job to clean up the broadcaster.

“We have made a lot of changes in the way we run the organisation. We have a very robust chair and board in place. We want this to be a really transparent, accountable organisation,” he said.

Mr Bakhurst also rejected suggestions that the departure of former RTÉ chief financial officer Mari Hurley was linked to the issue.

• Tadgh McNally, Political Reporter