Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am supporting Senator Mullen’s Bill which, I am sure we all agree, could not come at a better time. As the ongoing revelations of multiple barter accounts, under-the-table pay deals and a pile-up of undeclared expenditure, a picture of RTÉ emerges as an institution which very quickly returned to its Celtic tiger ways - an unassailable monolith of an institution that was above scrutiny and beyond accountability. As always, there were the “ins” and the “outs”. The “ins” were the D4 cabal who sat perched atop the pyramid, called the shots and enjoyed the giving and receiving of what seems more and more like the old-school Irish “favours for the lads”. The “outs”, of course, are the normal workers, the administration staff, the auto technicians, the lighting engineers, the people who turned up and worked every day and took home a modest pay cheque at the end of the month, with no brown envelopes being routed through a talent agency contract to supplement it.

In all of this, and in the context of the damage that will be done by the actions of the ruling class, I really feel we should be mindful of these honest workers when making our contributions. This is why Senator Mullen's Bill does not call for wholesale disinvestment from RTÉ, but, rather, it puts forward the case for de-establishment, although one can understand the calls for such. The Bill carefully targets only the highest earners, namely, those receiving in excess of the salary of a Cabinet Minister, which, in 2023 is €195,000. Under this Bill, that amount would become the upper limit of what an RTÉ salary could be. In addition, under the Bill the public would enjoy greatly increased transparency at RTÉ, which would publish the names and salaries of all employees and contractors whose pay exceeds the salary of a Deputy, which, in 2023, is €107,000. If RTÉ is really to be the public broadcaster, then it is only right that the people who work there enjoy pay parity with those in the service of the public in Leinster House and Government Buildings, namely, our Deputies and Ministers.

Speaking of public servants, I am reminded of a ground-breaking “Prime Time” investigation two years ago into the claiming of expenses by councillors, the people who are the foundation of local government and who are on the front line when it comes to political engagement with the public. Anyone who has been a councillor or who works with councillors knows the blood, sweat and tears that go into that job for very little thanks. Two years ago, the double-dealing bigwigs at RTÉ thought these people needed to have a team of reporters stuck into their paper trails in order to make sure that everything was above board. As a result, the public was served up a ready-made TV dinner of outrage over €400 in fuel expenses or €130 for an overnight hotel stay. I wonder how much RTÉ spent on the freedom of information requests. How many people took part in that investigation? What were their salaries? RTÉ tells us the investigation took more than two years. At what cost the taxpayer? All the while, the Celtic tiger was alive and roaring within RTÉ's own walls, with tens of thousands of euro in cash being splashed on golf outings, preshow dinners for the lads, exclusive London club memberships and 200 pairs of flip-flops. This is not even a matter of the pot and the kettle; it is another level of hypocrisy and utter lack of self-awareness. It is time for change when it comes to RTÉ.

Some people have floated the idea of splitting RTÉ into different regional bodies and independent studios, such as Galway and Sligo in the north west, Cork and Killarney in the south west and Wexford, Waterford and Kilkenny in the south east. Should we use this opportunity to break the Dublin 4 dominance over national thinking once and for all? It is worth investigating.

The Bill is the start we need. It is a good, short and clean Bill that gives the Government an opportunity to send a strong message to the public that it takes public spending seriously and that value for money and transparency are important to it. I commend the Bill to the House and ask that Senators vote in favour of it.