Minister Catherine Martin’s stance ‘no longer tenable’ – Labor Party

Labor has said Catherine Martin’s position as Media Minister is “no longer tenable”.

Politicians are reacting to RTE chief executive Siun Ni Raghallaigh resigning overnight after Ms Martin failed to express her confidence in him during a TV interview.

Ms Martin said she had been “misinformed” about the approval of a former RTE executive’s exit package and was “deeply disappointed” when asked to express her confidence in Ms Ni Raghallaigh.

Labor accused the minister, Ms Ni Raghallaigh, of “partially sacking” her on live broadcast, while the chair of the Public Accounts committee, Ms Martin, accused Ms Martin of “taking some time”.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee said Ms Martin had not effectively dismissed the RTE chief through the Prime Time interview.

He said Ms Martin “summed up the facts as they emerged” and that she “needed and wanted to talk” to Ms Ni Raghallaigh on Friday.

“He didn’t sack him. “He actually made it very clear how much work Siun has done in the last few months.”

RTE has come under intense scrutiny for publishing details of exit packages for executives since 2016.

On Thursday it published legal advice stating that making public details of former and current employee contracts would expose RTE to “avoidable legal challenges”.

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Questions have been raised about the management of exit packages after it was revealed that former chief financial officer Breda O’Keeffe was paid an unapproved €450,000 under the terms of a voluntary redundancy scheme.

Appearing on Prime Time on Thursday night, Ms Martin said she had been repeatedly assured that the RTE board had no role in signing off an exit package for former RTE chief financial officer Richard Collins.

However, it later emerged that the board’s remuneration committee, of which Ms Ni Raghallaigh was a member, had approved Mr Collins’ exit arrangements.

The minister had said he wanted an urgent meeting with Ms Ni Raghallaigh on Friday about the issue.

But hours later Ms Ni Raghallaigh said it was “absolutely clear” her position was no longer tenable as she had lost Ms Martin’s trust.

He said in a statement just before 1 a.m. Friday that his misrepresentation of the process was not “intentional.”

Ms Ni Raghallaigh said that at a meeting with Ms Martin earlier in the week she was asked whether the board was aware of exit packages for former strategy director Rory Coveney and Mr Collins.

“I said I was aware of them, but they hadn’t arrived before the full board. But I neglected to remember that Richard Collins’ exit package went to the remuneration committee.”

Ms Ni Raghallaigh said RTE chief executive Kevin Bakhurst was also present at two meetings with the minister and his officials this week, which lasted more than three hours.

Labour’s Marie Sherlock said Ms Martin’s TV interview amounted to “summary dismissal” of the RTE board chairman live on air and that Ms Martin’s position was “no longer tenable”.

He said from the beginning of the crisis Ms Martin had “backtracked” and “failed to ask the most basic questions”.

Ms Ni said Raghallaigh’s resignation statement revealed details of former RTE executives’ exit packages held by the Ministry of Media, which she said should be “published in full immediately”.

“The Taoiseach and Tanaiste must now consider the way the Media Minister has dealt with this whole debacle and ask: is he the man to ensure that the necessary reforms that are vital to RTE’s survival come about, and is he the man who can reinstate it? Public trust in the state broadcaster?”

Brian Stanley, chairman of the Public Accounts committee, said the minister was “a bit of a rush” and “should have kept his powder dry” and waited to meet Ms Ni Raghallaigh.

“I believe the Minister should have waited until he had the opportunity to speak to Siun Ni Raghallaigh and hear exactly what Siun Ni Raghallaigh had to say. And then he could make up his mind as to whether he felt confident or not.”

Ms Ni said Raghallaigh had made a “very comprehensive statement” which raised further questions.

“The minister may have made the right decision, the minister may not have made the right decision, but what I am saying is… there are a few lines (in Ms Ni Raghallaigh’s statement) that raise questions and the minister should have waited to resolve this with Siun Ni Raghallaigh to get to the bottom of it.

“I think if a minister, without any notice to Siun Ni Raghallaigh or anyone else, goes on television and expresses no confidence, refuses to express confidence in the chairman of the board of RTE, that creates a whole new situation.”

Senator Malcolm Byrne, a member of the media committee, said he did not believe Ms. Martin should have given this interview before the meeting scheduled for Friday.

“I would prefer that any decision would be made after discussions between the minister and the president.

“If it were revealed that the department was aware of the process surrounding Richard Collins’ exit package, that would lead the department into this dispute.

He added: “Siun Ni Raghallaigh is a dedicated public servant and has been honest and competent in her dealings with our committee. She and Kevin Bakhurst are trying to reform a very difficult organisation.”

Ms McEntee said: “Minister Martin did not ask anyone to step aside and we must be clear on this, he committed to an interview and did not renege. What he did was summarize the facts as they are this week.

“I think the challenge is that we all want to trust RTE, we want to trust those who run it, and we want to move forward. And unfortunately, when information keeps popping up like this about so many different topics, it becomes very difficult for people to trust.

“Of course this will add to the challenges RTE currently faces.”

Media Minister Catherine Martin thanked Ms Ni Raghallaigh for her services as chair of the RTE board since November 2022.

“At this critical time for RTE, it is imperative that we continue the important process of restoring trust in the institution. As Ms Ni Raghallaigh noted, there is an urgent need to continue the transformation process and implement a sustainable financing model; I am deeply committed to this,” Ms. Martin said in a statement.