National: Catherine Martin contradicts RTÉ Board claim over exit package of former CFO

Catherine Martin has addressed 'live on air' controversy following Siún Ní Raghallaigh's resignation last night. 

In a statement published this evening, Catherine Martin, said she wanted to clarify the situation regarding RTÉ.

This follows the chair of RTÉ's board resignation, Siún Ní Raghallaigh, last night after Ms Martin failed to express confidence in her on live TV. 

Members of the opposition criticised Martin for questioning Siún Ní Raghallaigh's role live on air.

Speaking on Prime Time last night, Ms Martin stated she was repeatedly “misinformed” by Ms Ní Raghallaigh regarding the exit packages of two former executives.

After which, Ms Ní Raghallaigh said that her position was "no longer tenable". 

In a statement, Ms Martin addressed the situation and thanked the chair of RTÉ's board for her commitment to public service.

"I would like to place on record my genuine thanks and appreciation to Siún Ní Raghallaigh for her dedicated service and hard work as Chair of RTÉ at a time of unprecedented crisis for the organisation. Her commitment to RTÉ and to public service is deeply impressive," started Ms Martin. 

"I would also like to clarify some of the events around RTÉ in recent days. I had asked the Chair at two meetings on Monday and Wednesday if she or the Board had played any role in approving either of two recent severance packages to senior RTE executives. Ms Ní Raghallaigh said that neither she nor the Board had played any role in approving it," she continued. 

"On Thursday, Ms Ní Raghallaigh contacted the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, and said that what she had told me on Monday and Wednesday was inaccurate. Ms Ní Raghallaigh said that she now remembered that the Remuneration Committee of the RTÉ Board, which she chaired, had met to approve the Richard Collins exit package last October. The fact that she contacted the Department with this information indicates she was aware she needed to correct the record."

She said she was aware of suggestions that Ms Ní Raghallaigh had informed the former Secretary General of my Department that the Board had approved the exit package for Richard Collins. 

"I discussed this matter with the former Secretary General yesterday and today to check if this was the case. She has been clear that while she was informed by phone that the independent mediation process on an exit package for Mr Collins had finally reached a conclusion, she has no recollection of being told that it was approved by the Board’s Remuneration Committee," she noted. I was deeply disappointed that the Chair had not given me accurate information when I raised it specifically on two occasions during the week."

Yesterday evening, Ms Martin wrote to the Chair asking her for a meeting on Friday morning. According to the media minister, the "failure" to answer her questions was "so serious" it required a formal meeting. 

"I also conveyed the situation to the coalition leaders on Thursday evening in order to keep them fully informed. Needless to say, it would have been my preference not to deal with this matter live on air. This was, however, a pre-arranged interview, and given how the situation had evolved yesterday and in the interests of transparency, I felt I had to address the matter. 

"At all times, my focus has been on reforming RTÉ and ensuring that it and other public broadcasters are placed on a secure and sustainable position into the future. This is vital for both staff at the broadcaster and the wider viewing public. I will shortly receive the in-depth expert reports that I commissioned into how RTE operates and am determined to secure a Government decision on the future funding model for public service broadcasting in Ireland," she said.