Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Deputy Boyd Barrett about the importance of public service broadcasting. It has been massively important in our history. It was particularly important, when we did not have other broadcast stations, to ensure there was a strong public service broadcasting operation in Ireland. RTÉ has provided a massive service to our citizens and country over many years. It is even more important now in a context where it is much easier to broadcast and provide means of communication. Given the capacity for misinformation in that type of environment, it is important to have a trusted public service broadcaster.

In return for citizens paying a fee towards public service broadcasting we expect that they get fair, impartial and balanced coverage. What they also expect is transparency in the way the fees and money is paid to a public service broadcaster and is spent. The Minister, Deputy Martin, who has been strong in terms of Government response, indicated following the appearance at the committee that, in her view and that of the Government, what we saw yesterday and over the past couple of weeks was a shocking failure of governance at senior management level in RTÉ. We expect those attending the Committee of Public Accounts today to account responsibly for decisions taken which have serious damaged the public's trust in public service broadcasting. The Minister has also asked for an accelerated timeline for the completion of the further Grant Thornton report into the understatement by RTÉ of the additional €120,000 for the period from 2017 to 2019. That is currently scheduled to take four weeks. The Minister has asked for it to be accelerated. The Grant Thornton report indicates that the €120,000 end of contract payment was not in fact paid. The new Grant Thornton report is seeking to establish why, if not paid, it was deducted from the published figures.

I also wish to clarify that it is my understanding the understatement only came to light during an internal review validating prior published earnings requested by the RTÉ board last week. Following the Minister's meeting with the RTÉ chair on 24 June, she announced she will commence an independent review of governance and culture at RTÉ. She has also provided an update to Government of this review and it is intended the full details will be signed off by Cabinet in coming days. Yesterday, the Minister also met with the RTÉ trade union group and Screen Producers Ireland to discuss the governance and culture review. She has been clear in her communications to the chair and deputy director general of RTÉ, the relevant members of the board and the executive board that all senior staff should attend and engage fully with Oireachtas committees examining these matters. It is important that the Committee of Public Accounts is having a further meeting on this today. We expect to see clear answers and transparency at that committee hearing.

See this speech in context