Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the long-awaited publication yesterday of the three external reports examining governance, human resources and finances at RTÉ. As we review the content of those reports, however, people around the country are amazed and alarmed that our national broadcaster, the organisation to which they pay the TV licence fee every year, continues to be mired in controversy. In more than 400 pages, the reports cover barter accounts, broken relationships, feckless governance and a culture which saw perks for some and dodgy contracts for the rest. There is some startling content in there. RTÉ claimed to have lost records of the now-infamous barter account, described as "hiding in plain sight". Elsewhere, accounting transactions were described as fictitious.

It is welcome that both the Government and RTÉ have accepted all 116 recommendations in principle, particularly those relating to the scandalous treatment of staff at RTÉ. I am talking in particular about the practice of bogus self-employment contracts, which we know deprive hard-working staff of so much, including access to mortgage approval, maternity pay and pension entitlements. I have heard from people who cannot retire or take sick leave or holidays, all because RTÉ will not recognise that they are employees. Some of these people have worked in the organisation for decades. My colleague, Senator Sherlock, has spoken before about the "Upstairs, Downstairs" culture pertaining at RTÉ, where workers on bogus self-employment contracts were paying for the flaithiúlach spending of those at the top.

However, we must do more than cut, cut, cut. Curbing the excess without delivering on decency and decent standards will do as much harm as good. Already, we know that the Department of Social Protection’s scope investigation does not cover all workers who are being exploited at RTÉ. It is scandalous that any employee of a State agency should be miscategorised in this way, yet we know it was widespread at RTÉ. That is not good enough because good journalism matters. A lesser-mentioned story in the press today is that of a study carried out by Dr. Eileen Culloty, who warns that parts of Ireland risk becoming news deserts, or areas which lack a reliable news service. Throughout the country, everyone should have access to accurate and up-to-date news and information. At this time of so much fake news, it is all the more important that we are able to trust those who report the news. That is especially important of our national broadcaster, RTÉ, yet the reputation of so many hard-working journalists has been hurt by reckless governance at RTÉ.

In his limited time left in government, the Taoiseach, along with the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, and the Cabinet, have important decisions to make. We understand that RTÉ has been given six weeks to outline how the recommendations will be implemented. It also falls to the Government to make a decision and present a plan as to how to resource our national broadcaster sustainably. We know the Government has been able to commission the reports, the publication of which I have welcomed, but it is time to make decisions. When will we have an announcement on the sustainable funding model for RTÉ? As part of that announcement, will there be a dedicated fund to end the practice of bogus self-employment contracts for all at RTÉ?

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