Updated: 9.45am. Additional reporting by Vivienne Clarke.
Sinn Féin has no plan to call a motion of no confidence in Minister for Media Catherine Martin, the party's deputy leader Pearse Doherty has said.
However, he called on the Green Party Minister to answer questions in the Dáil to “clear up very quickly” concerns about RTÉ.
Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast, Mr Doherty said Ms Martin is “behind the curtains”, adding there are concerns that she does not “have a handle” on the crisis at the national broadcaster.
“She is completely out of her depth,” Mr Doherty said.
His comments come as the Minister has faced criticism over her handling of the matter following the resignation of Siún Ní Raghallaigh as chair of the RTÉ board.
Ms Ní Raghallaigh resigned from the position after Ms Martin was unable to say she had confidence in Ms Ní Raghallaigh during a live Prime Time interview.
The Minister claimed she had been misinformed about the chair’s role in approving an exit package for former RTÉ chief financial officer Richard Collins.
However, in a statement released on Monday, Ms Ní Raghallaigh hit out at Ms Martin, claiming she had no option but to resign after an “enforced dismissal”.
She also criticised the Minister for “actively taking a hands-off approach” to the widening scandal at RTÉ and accused her of not assisting with falling TV licence revenues.
Her statement came in response to Ms Martin's appearance before the Oireachtas Media Committee last week, during which she gave her version of events on the circumstances which led to Ms Ní Raghallaigh's departure.
Responding to Ms Ní Raghallaigh's claims, Ms Martin said she needed to be able to rely on getting “clear, timely and accurate information” from the former chair.
She added: “This is particularly important at such a challenging time in RTÉ’s history.”
Meanwhile, the Government is set to name Terence O’Rourke as Ms Ní Raghallaigh's replacement after his recommendation by Ms Martin was approved by the Coalition leaders on Monday. His appointment is expected to be put to the Cabinet on Tuesday.
Mr O’Rourke, originally from Co Monaghan, is a former KPMG managing partner and the current chair of ESB, and is due to be confirmed alongside two other new board appointments once Cabinet approval has been secured.
No confidence
Asked if Sinn Féin would be tabling a motion of no confidence in Ms Martin, Mr Doherty said he did not have confidence in the Minister for Housing or the Minister for Health. “We can’t put down motions of no confidence in all of them,” he said.
Mr Doherty pointed out that there had been a report on the TV licence issue on the Minister’s desk “for the last three years”, but she had not addressed the issue.
“I think she's been exposed as a minister that completely doesn't have a handle on the crisis in RTÉ. “We are rolling into crisis after crisis in RTÉ.”
He said it is clear the Minister was “hands off”, adding: “We want the Minister to come before the Dáil to answer questions. Let her be held accountable to the Dáil.”
Mr Doherty said there needs to be clarity on the exact number of meetings the Minister had with Ms Ní Raghallaigh, as the pair have offered differing accounts on the matter.
Breakdown
In a separate interview on Tuesday morning, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he is certain Ms Martin would be happy to answer questions in the Dáil on the matter.
Speaking to RTÉ radio's Morning Ireland, Mr Varadkar said the relationship between Ms Martin and Ms Ní Raghallaigh had “essentially” broken down.
He said the Minister found herself in a situation where she did not feel she could “fully trust the information she was given by the former chair”, noting Ms Ní Raghallaigh has admitted she had inadvertently gave Ms Martin inaccurate information.
“Minister Martin lost trust in what she was hearing, that's fundamentally how the relationship broke down and why the former chairperson chose to resign,” the Taoiseach said.
He added that “both are women who are in good standing”, stating he does not believe Ms Ní Raghallaigh’s reputation should be “tarnished by all of this”.
“Sometimes things happen, misunderstandings, relationships break down. It doesn't necessarily mean that anyone did anything wrong or lacked confidence, in my view,” Mr Varadkar said.
Asked about the recommendation that RTÉ should be brought under the control of the Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr Varadkar said he thought it was a good idea but said it would be a Government decision.
He noted there are a number of reports due shortly which would all have to be scrutinised, and no decision would be taken until that has happened.
“I'm someone who believes that Ireland needs a strong RTÉ,” the Taoiseach said.
“We're small country, five million people. If we don't produce our own quality news content, current affairs, drama programmes, all of those things, we're so easily sucked into the news and media markets of Britain.”
