Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Members of the RTÉ board The Journal

RTÉ board express 'great disappointment' at position Ní Raghallaigh was placed in by Martin

The board has requested a meeting with Catherine Martin “at the earliest opportunity”.

THE RTÉ BOARD has expressed “great disappointment and regret” over the resignation of its chair Siún Ní Raghallaigh, saying she was put in a position where she had “no other option”. 

Ní Raghallaigh resigned shortly before 1am in the wake of a Prime Time interview with Media Minister Catherine Martin, who failed to express confidence in her as chair of the RTÉ board. 

The minister said yesterday that she had been told twice that Ní Raghallaigh did not know about the details of Richard Collins’ exit package, but had learned in the course of the day that the Chair was in fact aware of them.

In her interview last night, Martin said that she was repeatedly “misinformed” by the chair on whether the board signed off on the exit package.

The minister said that Ní Raghallaigh assured her on Monday and Wednesday that the board had no involvement in approving exit payments made to a number of executives, but that yesterday morning, she was informed that the RTÉ board did play a role in signing off on Collins’s package.

His exit package went before the RTÉ remuneration board, which is chaired by Ní Raghallaigh. 

A statement from the broadcaster’s board then pushed back on those comments from Martin, saying that her department had been informed about the process which led to Richard Collins’ departure on 10 October.

Martin has said today that her department had only been informed of the “process” regarding Collins’s departure and not that his exit package had been approved. 

The remaining members of the board met this afternoon to discuss their response to the questions raised by the minister.

In a statement published this evening, the board’s members thanked Ní Raghallaigh for her time as chair and described her as “a person of the utmost integrity”. 

“We thank Siún for her dedication, decency, diligence and above all for her unswerving commitment to RTÉ and to the future of public service media in Ireland.”

The board’s statement also expressed ”great disappointment and regret that she was placed in a position whereby she felt that she had no option but to resign”. 

The board added that Ní Raghallaigh was responsible for “driving much needed governance reform and seeking to forge a more secure future for the organisation”.  

The board also confirmed in its statement that it is “committed to continuing to discharge its duties” and said it is waiting to hear back from external advisory committees appointed by the Government regarding recommendations on reforms.

“A secure funding model for RTÉ and public service media must remain our shared collective objective,” the statement said. 

The board said it has requested a meeting with Catherine Martin “at the earliest opportunity”. 

The minister told RTÉ News this evening that she intends to meet with the board early next week. 

This evening, Catherine Martin spoke to the media and said she was doing her best to manage the situation. 

On the subject of Ní Raghallaigh’s late night resignation, Martin said: “I think it’s a shame to make any decision without talking it through in person face to face just like we did during the week.”

Asked whether she had spoken to Ms Ni Raghallaigh since her resignation, she said she had not.

The tumultuous events of the last 24 hours are latest episode in a series of damaging controversies that have plagued the national broadcaster since it emerged that star presenter Ryan Tubridy had received undisclosed payments last year.

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
27 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Niall Carson
    Favourite Niall Carson
    Report
    Jun 8th 2013, 1:17 PM

    Where is the rest of the story? Is that it? There was more information in the
    Sub heading than in the few paragraphs below.

    148
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute vv7k7Z3c
    Favourite vv7k7Z3c
    Report
    Jun 8th 2013, 1:21 PM

    Hi Niall,
    If you click on the slideshow, each slide has a caption that explains a different point. Can you see the slideshow?
    If not, let us know what device you are viewing it on. It’s working on desktop and I’ve just checked it on iOs
    and Android and it seems fine there too?

    44
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Niall Carson
    Favourite Niall Carson
    Report
    Jun 8th 2013, 4:45 PM

    I’m still getting used to this new media way of viewing information! Sorry guys thanks

    12
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute vv7k7Z3c
    Favourite vv7k7Z3c
    Report
    Jun 10th 2013, 9:45 AM

    No problem!

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute OU812
    Favourite OU812
    Report
    Jun 8th 2013, 12:29 PM

    Ummm… What’s it got to do with the Internet? It’s about a pirate TV channel. These were pretty common place all across the US in the 70s & 80s.

    52
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Simon Jester
    Favourite Simon Jester
    Report
    Jun 8th 2013, 12:37 PM

    It was an absolute SHITE film then and now!! [
    Apart from Debbie Harry that is]. Its one of those films you can take whatever meanings you want to out of it or none at all.I took from it that whoever wrote it was on drugs when he wrote the script.

    43
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kal Ipers
    Favourite Kal Ipers
    Report
    Jun 8th 2013, 1:57 PM

    Very weak connections considering the movie focuses on the cathode ray tube being mystical. The addiction and effects are based on a scientist experimental beams.
    Not exactly predictions to anything.

    22
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dessie Edmunds
    Favourite Dessie Edmunds
    Report
    Jun 8th 2013, 2:44 PM

    Scanners. Cronebergs masterpiece. Eastern Promises underated too

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pat Murphy
    Favourite Pat Murphy
    Report
    Jun 8th 2013, 4:54 PM

    cronenberg is a body horror master, crash, the fly, rabid, scanners etc,etc.
    I have loved his recent progression to more drama like material like eastern promise, history of violence & a dangerous method. didn’t like cosmopolis

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pat Murphy
    Favourite Pat Murphy
    Report
    Jun 8th 2013, 4:55 PM

    history of violence was fantastic too!

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kevin Cooney
    Favourite Kevin Cooney
    Report
    Jun 8th 2013, 1:32 PM

    Debbie Harry yes yes and yes! The movie was terrible.

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Christian Carley
    Favourite Christian Carley
    Report
    Jun 8th 2013, 5:34 PM

    Long live the new flesh!

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Declan Carr
    Favourite Declan Carr
    Report
    Jun 8th 2013, 1:24 PM

    Might be a Sh1t movie but a hell of a lot better then any Iris made Movie. and I wonder where internet comes into play it this story.
    I will read over it and over it never know it might be in there somewhere in hidden files.

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michelle Philpot
    Favourite Michelle Philpot
    Report
    Jun 8th 2013, 1:46 PM

    Better than The Snapper? To name but one!

    It’s medication time Declan, open wide and swallow.

    20
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tony Le Blanc
    Favourite Tony Le Blanc
    Report
    Jun 8th 2013, 3:17 PM

    I think you’ll find Michelle he said ‘Iris made’ One can only assume he was referring to East German filmmaker Iris Gusner

    Furthermore: could we all stop talking about the Snapper please? Yes, its just about better than Videodrome but then a documentary about whale sh*te would be too.

    17
    See 3 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michelle Philpot
    Favourite Michelle Philpot
    Report
    Jun 8th 2013, 3:41 PM

    Tony la plonk

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pat Murphy
    Favourite Pat Murphy
    Report
    Jun 8th 2013, 4:50 PM

    declan, exactly what is your problem with Irish movies????
    you have yet to give any reasons, so stop trolling!!!

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tony Le Blanc
    Favourite Tony Le Blanc
    Report
    Jun 8th 2013, 9:44 PM

    @ Michelle: snappy comeback

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Brant Blog
    Favourite Brant Blog
    Report
    Jun 8th 2013, 7:09 PM

    There’s hardly any link between Videodrome and the internet.

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Brendan McCormack
    Favourite Brendan McCormack
    Report
    Jun 8th 2013, 4:02 PM

    Brian O’Blivion. That about says it all. I expect the author of this wrote it while watching porn with his free hand.

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel

 
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds