Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

The more extensive review is now necessary because of the lack of transparency from some members of RTÉ management. If there is a way to deal with a crisis, how RTÉ has handled this one is not the way to do so. The top-up payments triggered the crisis, but the cover-up, particularly in a situation where there is no obvious personal gain for most of those involved, is hard to understand. Last week we were told it was a transaction designed to deceive. The question so many of us have is "Why?".

I completely understand the anger and upset of those working in RTÉ about penny-pinching when it is contrasted with the approach, led by the commercial department, to such items as the rugby world cup in Japan, concert tickets, dinners, tickets to high profile football matches and so much more. We will obviously see much more when we see the extent of the barter account.

Part of the reason there is a need for the review to be extended is that RTÉ management has not been forthcoming with information. A deep dive from outside is now needed because of the unquestioning culture. RTÉ's senior executives cannot be honest with themselves and that tells us something about that culture. Widening the review to take in concerns raised by the unions is important. I acknowledge that. We must not have a situation where people do not feel they can disclose what they know or raise concern without fearing for the future of their careers. Nothing will change unless people feel they have the freedom in the organisation to be honest, open and transparent. That applies throughout the organisation.

Let us look at the commercial department. Geraldine O'Leary, who appeared before two committees, is the person most acquainted with the barter account. She knew the types of transactions that normally went through that account, outrageous as some of them were. She is on the record as saying she knew an invoice for €75,000 for Ryan Tubridy was unusual. She knew it related to him despite the invoice not stating that. She had the choice to say "No". She could have said that this is not what the barter account was for. Instead she did what she was told by the director general. It sounds like the universal soldier who acted on the instructions of the general. Again, I ask "Why?". She also had the option of raising this with the executive management committee as an exceptional item, but seems to have chosen not to do so and to keep it under wraps. She told the Committee of Public Accounts last week that no member of staff raised any issue with her about an invoice in 2022. I was more than surprised by her response. She was categoric. I was not at all surprised to read the following quote in the The Sunday Times:

Geraldine O'Leary, the only other executive who knew about the two invoices paid through the barter account, has said that her knowledge of the matter was limited to instructions received from Forbes. She told the PAC on Thursday that no questions were raised internally about the invoicing process until March 2023. Her recollection of events is disputed, however. The Sunday Timeshas established that O'Leary was directly made aware of questions raised internally in relation to one invoice settled through the barter account more than a year ago.

That was the one I questioned her about.

Putting incorrect information on the Dáil record about the top-up to Ryan Tubridy started some of the inquiries here. Not only was the Dáil misled, but the public was misled by extension. The last thing we need is more of this. A forensic accountant will not find that, but going through emails and other correspondence in that department would. What was known by people who came before the Oireachtas and stated they did not know about it must be established.

We need to see much greater transparency in the future. For example, we need declarations of interest, especially by contractors. Through a recent set of parliamentary questions I tabled about influencers, I discovered that some people can earn quite a lot of additional money. Doireann Garrihy was paid €20,000 for promoting the Cheltenham horse racing festival by the publicly funded Horse Racing Ireland, incredibly for promoting an event in a different jurisdiction. Eoin McGee who hosted a TV programme about his bookHow to be Good with Money- and we all want to see people being good with money - was paid €17,000 by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. Those kinds of issues need to be put on a register so we can have full transparency. I want to see several things change. I want the Comptroller and Auditor General to audit RTÉ again in some fashion. It may well be a dual function. The culture must change. We need to dispense with the need for the agent, ensure there is a safe place in RTÉ for people to disclose information and that there is transparency right across the organisation.

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