Watch live: RTÉ board and executives appear before Oireachtas media committee

Kenneth Fox

RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst is currently appearing before the Oireachtas media committee alongside RTÉ senior executives and the entire RTÉ Board.

A controversy engulfed the national broadcaster in June after revelations about the under-reporting of the salary paid to star presenter Ryan Tubridy.

The row has triggered a multi-million euro drop-off in the collection of TV licence revenue.

You can keep up to date with all the developments down below:

14:10pm

Kevin Bakhurst said the "so-called" car allowances should not be called so and more so a management allowance because many people getting it do not have a driving licence.

14:07pm

Kevin Bakhurst insisted RTÉ was not on the verge of bankruptcy.

“We are having to manage our cash extremely carefully, but we’re not on the verge of bankruptcy and I wouldn’t be able to run the organisation under my statutory responsibilities if I thought we were, and we’re not,” he told the media committee.

He acknowledged the organisation was facing an “extremely challenging financial situation”.

13:51pm

Fianna Fáil Senator, Micheál Carrigy has asked what cost-cutting measures have been put in place by RTÉ in recent months.

Kevin Bakhurst said the broadcaster is "facing into a financial crisis" and are freezing recruitment in the short term.

“I’m pulling every lever I can to try and preserve cash because that is my duty, and that’s the duty of the board to make sure that we as an organisation do not run out of money,” he said.

Mr Bakhurst said a full or partial sale of RTE’s Montrose site in Dublin was being considered.

“All options are on table,” he said.

He said a professional valuation of the site was under way, but he highlighted that a sale could potentially be complicated by the fact that several of the buildings were listed.

13:45pm

In his opening statement RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst said the majority of staff in RTÉ are 'diligent' and 'highly skilled'.

Bakhurst said he has appointed an interim leadership team as part of his reforms. A staff survey is being sent around and there will also be further staff consultation.

He said it is clear that the current tv licence model is not working and RTÉ are looking at other ways to fund the broadcaster.

13:39pm

RTÉ board chairwoman Siun Ní Raghaillagh said in her opening statement that over the past few months public trust has been eroded.

She said this lack of trust has led to a downfall in revenue in recent months.

“A secure future for RTE is by no means guaranteed,” she said.

“This is currently an organisation under immense pressure across a number of fronts.

“Critically, the erosion of that trust has helped create immediate financial pressures.

“This needs to be resolved as a matter of urgency and is a matter of immediate focus for the board and the interim leadership team.

“A secure future for RTE means having purpose and direction, and making choices and taking decisions.

“The director general and his team will soon complete a strategic review of the organisation.

“I expect that the review would then shape what will be a costed restructuring plan.

“As part of that, hard decisions must be made in order to achieve a fit-for-purpose public service broadcaster.

“These decisions may not be popular with stakeholders and policymakers, including perhaps this committee.”

As the Irish Examiner reported on Tuesday, TDs and Senators are expected to ask about so-called bogus contracts at the station as well as redacted exchanges between former director general Dee Forbes and Noel Kelly of NK Management, who represented Ryan Tubridy.

Email exchanges spanning four months released on Monday show Mr Kelly chasing the controversial €75,000 payments. Several committee members will question how the Board was unaware of the issues that have emerged to date which happened “under their noses".

There is also frustration that bosses did not approach staff for permission to publish their names and salaries.

The committee had asked RTÉ for details of its 100 highest earners. However, the broadcaster said it would be “inappropriate” to ask.

Committee members are also expected to grill board members on car allowances, as it was revealed that payments are unvouched despite a separate document confirming that there is no requirement to have a driving licence.

The revelation emerged after 178 documents were sent by RTÉ to the media committee. Car allowances paid to 61 employees last year amounted to over €650,000. It is unclear how many staff members do not have a driving licence.

Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe said it was “unusual” that RTÉ staff were not required to hold a driving licence to receive a car allowance.

Additional reporting PA