Results 781-800 of 7,961 for speaker:Imelda Munster

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Imelda Munster: RTÉ has set aside just under €20 million for Revenue. By setting that aside, and given the fact that RTÉ has already paid €1.2 million, Mr. Bakhurst accepts that a wrong was done and there is a possibility that RTÉ will have to pay Revenue at least €20 million or upwards of that. That is only going from 2021.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Imelda Munster: If we go back through the decades the cost will multiply. What annoys me is that money is set aside for Revenue, because legally RTÉ will have to pay it. It is taxpayers' money. Not a cent has been set aside for the workers who have been misclassified, going back decades, who have lost out on entitlements. There was no shortage of money for exit packages paid to some people who were...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Imelda Munster: I know that because I dealt with it. What I asked was whether RTÉ can furnish us with the legal advice that said it was not doing anything wrong and that further clearance was not required.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Imelda Munster: What we are hearing all of the time is "legal advice privilege". This is something that could be cleared up. If RTÉ got outside legal advice and there is nothing to hide, it should furnish it. Did RTÉ furnish it to the CCPC?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Imelda Munster: But did RTÉ furnish it to the CCPC?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Imelda Munster: I know RTÉ has engaged with it on its request, but it did not furnish it-----

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Imelda Munster: RTÉ did not furnish the commission with the outside legal advice that said no further clearance was required. RTÉ did not use that as an argument to say “We got outside legal advice that no further clearance is required”. RTÉ did not produce that document to the CCPC.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Imelda Munster: Did RTÉ mention to the commission that it had it?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Imelda Munster: I have a final question. Is there anybody among the RTÉ board members who currently holds ownership, directorship or shares in independent production companies?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Imelda Munster: Yes, the executive board.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Imelda Munster: Would Mr. Bakhurst see a conflict of interest in that?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Imelda Munster: Of the executive board, who would have either managing directorship-----

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Imelda Munster: Is there anyone currently who is a director of a particular part of RTÉ who would-----

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Imelda Munster: Absolutely no one. You are sure of that.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Imelda Munster: Okay. We will come back to that.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Imelda Munster: I thank the Minister for her opening statement. I want to touch on a few issues. The first is the forensic investigation that Mazars is carrying out into the barter accounts, the mismanagement and misuse of the barter accounts, the 35% in additional costs that were paid every time there was a transaction, etc. The Minister said that the advisory committee has got the extension to...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Imelda Munster: It is fair enough that the Minister is awaiting the recommendations but she would, I am sure, agree that any recommendations would have to be absolutely watertight, with a huge degree of oversight at every level? As she knows, all of this went on under the watch of the entire executive board, and indeed the board. Nobody, it appears, was aware of anything that was going on. That is why I...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Imelda Munster: I wanted to touch on something else. The Minister is aware that licence fee receipts will be down by €21 million by the end of the year, and possibly even more. She is aware of the recent survey regarding public confidence in RTÉ, not just regarding what happened and all that we went through but also regarding the maintenance of RTÉ Player, the constant repeats and all of...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Imelda Munster: We expect to see RTÉ's new strategic plan and I think the director general is supposed to be publicising it this month. If we get the new strategic plan and if RTÉ is saying what is going to be different at a top level in the broadcaster, how will the Minister measure that against the investigations that will not be completed until year end, in the context of decisions made on...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Imelda Munster: The technical working group has submitted its recommendations to the Minister in advance of her long-awaited decision. I know this has yet to be discussed by Cabinet and so on, but at this stage can the Minister even give us a clue as to what options are on the table regarding the licence fee?