The chair of the NUJ Dublin Broadcasting Branch, RTÉ journalist Emma O’Kelly has told of the anger among staff at the “grubby picture” that has emerged from the Public Accounts Committee.
The contrast between the pay and treatment of rank and file staff and so-called ‘talent’ was another cause of anger and stress she told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.
It appeared that RTÉ had lost sight in its public service remit. “We all know that it's a dual funding model. We all know that there's always been a tension or a conflict between the commercial side of RTÉ and that public service remit. But anybody listening yesterday and hearing about cars being made available, given to contractors and even one staff member and all these trips to the K Club and the Rugby World Cup, etc.
“It would seem to us that the commercial is certainly winning.
“That's another divide between what the people who report the news and make the programmes feel about what RTÉ should be about and what we now feel that perhaps it is about.”
Ms O’Kelly pointed out that under the public service statement issued by RTÉ in March this year it states that the station was independent from political and commercial interests. “And really, after yesterday, you really have to ask, well, are we?”
Since 2019 the NUJ branch in RTÉ had adopted the position that there should be pay caps within the organisation with the top civil service salary as a benchmark.
“We felt back then that no one in the organisation and that includes on air talent and executives, no one should be on more than the top civil service salary, which at that time was around €280,000.”
Ms O’Kelly said her branch of the NUJ would support the releasing of details of all salaries because it was public money that paid the wages so they should be open and transparent.
Staff were “really, really worried” about the future of the organisation. “We would appeal to Government to grasp the nettle of coming up with a sustainable and equitable funding model for public service broadcasting. Because one thing is really clear from this week, and that is the urgent need to create a sustainable and decent model of public funding for RTÉ to take us out of the grasp of these grubby commercial interests and allow us to do our job.”
There were governance and culture issues that needed to be addressed within RTÉ, she said. “I'm constantly meeting people who feel that they're not being listened to, they're not being heard, and there's a huge issue with gender inequality in RTÉ.
“We're looking for a work life balance and family friendly work practices. This is another area that we absolutely will be asking RTÉ, yet again, to openly and in a spirit of partnership, sit down with its workers and look to chart a new way forward for a reformed RTÉ that is fit for purpose and that lives up to what the public who pay for us deserve of us.”
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin TD Imelda Munster has said that the PAC meeting had revealed that individuals at the top in RTÉ acted as they saw fit in a culture that was “completely devoid of any oversight or governance".
'Celtic Tiger type splurging of taxpayers' money'
Ms Munster told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland that she accepted a certain amount of corporate entertainment was necessary, but it was the extravagance of the spending by RTÉ, the “Celtic Tiger type of splurging of taxpayers’ money” that was so alarming, especially as at the same time RTÉ was seeking an increase in funds and an increase in the TV licence fee.
“It just appears that there's plenty of perks and top ups for some at the very top and then cuts for everybody else within the organisation.”
Ms Munster added that the more details that emerged “the shadier it gets” and that it had been “just excruciating” sitting at the PAC meeting trying to get answers.
“All the while you're sitting there and you're thinking the public have been misled, the workers have been misled, the directors have been misled.”
The question remained why was RTÉ underwriting separate commercial deals “for some of its people at the top". The entire issue was down to RTÉ management and “an abysmal lack of proper governance and oversight".
The reputation of RTÉ was in tatters because of a few. The public are not going to accept that. The damage has been done, unfortunately, she said.
