Dáil debates
Tuesday, 27 February 2024
Broadcasting (Oversight of RTÉ Accounts) (Amendment) Bill 2024: First Stage
4:05 pm
Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Tairgim:
Go gceadófar go dtabharfar isteach Bille dá ngairtear An Bille Craolacháin (Formhaoirsiú ar Chuntais RTÉ) (Leasú) 2024.
I thank the Chair of the Committee of Public Accounts, Deputy Stanley, and committee members, Deputies Munster and Brady, for co-signing this Bill alongside my colleagues beside me.
Is Bille simplí é. De ghnáth, tagann cuntais na n-eagras poiblí faoi chúram an Ard-Reachtaire Cuntas agus Ciste. Ó 1990 áfach, tugadh eisceacht do RTÉ agus roghnaigh sé iniúchóirí seachtracha ó shin. Féach ar an toradh atá le sin: cistí dubha, cuntais bhabhtála, cnapshuimeanna scoir do na boic mhóra agus ag an am céanna, tá gnáth oibrithe thíos leis an bhféinfhostaíocht bhréige agus ní fhaigheann daoine san eagraíocht atá ag obair leis an nGaeilge an pá ceanna leo siúd atá ag déanamh an obair céanna. Níl muinín ag an bpobal in RTÉ. Tá gá le hathrú agus le smacht. Cuirfidh an tArd Reachtaire Cuntas agus Ciste smacht ar RTÉ agus ar na cuntais agus an caiteachas scoilte atá aige. Tagann an craoltóir náisiúnta seirbhíse poiblí eile, TG4, faoi chúram an Ard Reachtaire agus níor chualathas aon fhadhb maidir lena chuntais riamh, seachas b’fhéidir ceann amháin, is é sin nach bhfuil dóthain airgid á thabhairt dó. Níor chóir go mbeadh rial amháin ann do TG4 agus ceann eile do RTÉ agus an saoirse aige a rogha rud a dhéanamh leis an airgead poiblí.
Convicted tax fraudster and former Fianna Fáil Minister, Ray Burke, was widely reported as having said, "I'm going to fucking screw RTÉ", just before he did away with the Comptroller and Auditor General's oversight of RTÉ in the Broadcasting Act 1990. Perhaps this current mess is him having another laugh at us. RTÉ clearly cannot be trusted to investigate itself. The media Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, cannot be trusted to sort this mess out either. When she is not firing people on RTÉ live, she is refusing to answer questions in this Chamber. People are fed up and the Government has no solutions or plans. Putting RTÉ back under the State's chief auditor could stop this mess from dragging on further. It is time for accountability and change.
4:15 pm
Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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Bringing RTÉ under the Comptroller and Auditor General is long overdue. Today, Deputy Ó Snodaigh, Eoghan Finn in his office and the Sinn Féin members on the Committee of Public Accounts have presented legislation that the Government should have introduced years ago. I have been calling since last July for RTÉ's exemption from the State audit to be removed to allow the Comptroller and Auditor General to carry out audits, as it currently does with TG4. It has been a continuous line of mixed messages and flip-flopping from Government as the RTÉ scandals turn into a saga. It should not have taken yet more revelations of mismanagement at RTÉ to emerge for the Government to be forced into this position. Only two weeks ago, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, in the Minister's seat, categorically ruled out the Comptroller and Auditor General taking control of RTÉ in light of the events happening at the time. Now we have reports that the Government is finally considering this obvious step. Today, we present the opportunity to introduce accountability, transparency and oversight to ensure that public money is not wasted and squandered. That is the very least that hard-working people in this country can expect.
Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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I commend Deputy Ó Snodaigh and Eoghan Finn in his office on their work on this Bill. The past seven days have seen more emerging scandals in RTÉ about confidential payments that could not be discussed, a lack of oversight, and the Minister in charge not being there to ensure it was being done properly. Anyone who has followed the scandals has found themselves deeply frustrated by a drip-feed of information. First, we cannot discuss these issues because they are confidential, then a minute later, the amount of money that a person got is revealed. There was no oversight from the board, then it emerged that there was oversight. The Minister did not know what was happening, then it turned out that her Department did know what was happening. This is just in seven days. If it was not so serious, it would be like a scene from Monty Python. What is happening here is unbelievable.
This Bill is to try to bring RTÉ under the Comptroller and Auditor General, a move that has been recognised by senior members of this Government as needed and would end the drip-feed. It would give real oversight to the public accounts committee to bring RTÉ from the dark ages into the light. These accounts have been hidden in the shadows and we need them to be looked at and open so that everyone knows. This Bill is a step forward. We now need honesty, openness and transparency. That is why I support this Bill.
Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Is the Bill opposed?
Helen McEnteeCatherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Since this is a Private Members' Bill, Second Stage must, under Standing Orders, be taken in Private Members' time.
Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."