Mr. Kevin Bakhurst:

I thank the Chair, Deputies and Senators for their engagement with RTÉ on this issue. It is regrettable that my first meeting with the committee is under these circumstances but I look forward to working with it over the term of my appointment. The matters relating to the contractual arrangements for Mr. Tubridy, the public misstatements of his remuneration, and other subsequent discoveries have created one of the most shameful and damaging episodes in the organisation's history. It remains a source of frustration to the public, to the RTÉ board, to the elected representatives who engaged on this issue, and to the staff within RTÉ that there are gaps in evidence and missing personal testimonies that could irrefutably evidence all aspects of the chain of events, what informed or influenced those events, and why this occurred.

Mr. Adrian Lynch, interim deputy director general, Mr. Richard Collins, chief financial officer, and Mr. Conor Mullen, head of strategy and commercial compliance, will try to address any further queries on these issues that members may have this morning. Anything that remains outstanding we will try to address.

As the Cathaoirleach has just said, Grant Thornton has now validated the published figures for the highest earners going back to 2010. As members will know, Grant Thornton is also investigating the understating of Ryan Tubridy’s earnings from 2017 to 2019, along with a separate review relating to the Toy Show The Musical. As members are aware, the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, has also appointed a forensic accountant to examine relevant accounts as it determines. I have instructed all divisions to give the fullest co-operation possible with these investigations and any committee queries. It is of the utmost importance that RTÉ works to create as much clarity as possible to the sequence of decisions and actions and by whom they were authorised or enacted.

Irrespective of what those investigations ultimately conclude, a number of things are beyond dispute. RTÉ should not be brokering or facilitating commercial arrangements with its contractors. The level of fees in contracts of this nature is too high. We should have co-operated with greater transparency and should have applied much higher standards of honesty and integrity in terms of our public statements. The public was misled, as were public representatives. That is completely unacceptable. I assure the committee that lessons have already been learned and actions are already being taken.

I welcome the formal review of governance at RTÉ, as announced by the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin. I hope it will help to inform important decisions that lie ahead as to how the organisation can rebuild and restore public confidence and trust. Moreover, the culture in RTÉ needs to change. RTÉ is full of talented and hardworking people who remain committed to delivering a vital public service to our audiences. The current crisis is in no way a reflection on their work or the high levels of integrity with which they operate but the way information is shared and how decisions are made need to change.

Members will have seen already that I put in train action on a number of priority issues. The former executive board has been stepped down and replaced by an interim leadership team. In due course, there will be a permanent leadership team informed by considerations as to strengthening our governance and strategic ambitions. While RTÉ has robust processes and rigorous oversight of finances in many parts of the organisation, negotiations with agents and the processes around certain decisions have highlighted gaps in our processes and procedures which have caused us considerable harm. From today, all significant decisions will be agreed by the whole team of the interim leadership and a record of discussions leading to these decisions will be compiled. The pay of the permanent leadership team will be published annually, along with the pay of the top ten presenters. These will be published in the annual report. We are expediting the establishment of a register of interest for staff and contractors in consultation with the trade union group, TUG.I have asked RTÉ's freedom of information, FOI, officer to take a lead in scoping out this important process and to look at RTÉ’s legal obligations, as well as the operation of registers and declarations of interest in the Civil Service and in some broadcasters internationally.

Over and above the processes already under way and the reviews announced by the Minister, we will be undertaking a review of roles, grades, pay and gender equality. We will also be developing a staff consultation group to meet regularly with me and other members of the leadership team. More decisions and commitments will be announced over the months ahead. I hope these measures convey that I am determined to take action and to take it swiftly. I am determined to implement the change and reform that will help us draw a line under this shameful period in RTÉ’s history and to rebuild trust in public service broadcasting.