Former RTÉ board chair Siún Ní Raghallaigh has said she had no option but to resign after an “enforced dismissal” by Minister for Media Catherine Martin.
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.
However, Ms Martin responded by stating she needed to rely on getting “clear, timely and accurate information” from the former RTÉ chair.
Ms Ní Raghallaigh resigned from her role on the board of the crisis-hit broadcaster hours after Ms Martin expressed disappointment in her during a live television interview.
Appearing on Prime Time on February 22nd, the Minister also refused to express confidence in Ms Ní Raghallaigh, saying she had been misinformed about the chair’s role in approving an exit package for former RTÉ chief financial officer Richard Collins.
Ms Martin also said she had sent a letter to Ms Ní Raghallaigh about her disappointment.
The Minister was criticised for her handling of the situation with opposition TDs claiming she had effectively sacked the chair live on air.
At issue were meetings earlier that week in which Ms Ní Raghallaigh told the Minister that neither she nor the board had any role in approving Mr Collins’ exit payment.
However, she later informed the department that this was a mistake and that she had chaired the remuneration subcommittee approval of the fee in October.
On Monday, Ms Ní Raghallaigh said it was “baffling” that Ms Martin asked questions about the severance package five months after it happened.
“The error was a lapse of memory – nothing more. I had no motivation or gain to obfuscate on the matter. This was a matter that had been dealt with in October 2023, almost five months prior.”
She said she advised the then secretary general of the Department of Media on October 10th about the discussions at the remuneration committee which approved Mr Collins’ package, and did not receive follow-up queries until the exit packages came into the public domain in February.
In a statement on Monday, Ms Ní Raghallaigh said: “If the Minister had decided that she no longer wanted me as chair, that is her privilege.
“However, I cannot remain silent about the manner of my enforced dismissal which seemed designed to traduce my reputation.”
Ms Ní Raghallaigh said she “no option but to resign” after Ms Martin’s Prime Time appearance.
The former chair had been told by department officials before the interview that she would be receiving a letter from the Minister expressing her disappointment.
Ms Ní Raghallaigh asked the department not to send the letter as it would reflect the minister expressing no confidence in her and make her position untenable.
In a statement, she said she was told that the Minister wanted to get the letter out before the Prime Time interview in case the dispute over the exit package arose.
Ms Ní Raghallaigh said: “It was now apparent that a plan was afoot, somehow involving the letter and the Prime Time appearance, and that would not be changed by any input from RTÉ.
“It began to appear that the letter was as much being dictated by the upcoming Prime Time interview as anything surrounding my clarification about the Collins case.”
Ms Ní Raghallaigh said her relationship with the department was mainly through the secretary general rather than Ms Martin.
“My experience over the past 15 months has been of a Minister actively taking a hands-off approach whilst delegating through her officials.”
She further claimed the Minister had not assisted with efforts to restore licence fee payers’ confidence in RTÉ.
“This was urgent, not least to continue to arrest the decline in licence fee compliance since the controversy began last summer and which, regretfully, was not assisted by the Minister who said she would refuse to tell licence payers what to do.”
Ms Ni Raghallaigh said she did not claim that the severance package for Mr Collins was unimportant, but added: “I also want to record my conviction that, quantum aside, the restructure programme in RTÉ would not be possible without resort to negotiated severance arrangements.”
In her response, Ms Martin said: “I note the statement of the former chair. Last week, I outlined in detail the position of the department officials and I on this matter.
“This included taking questions at a three and a half hour meeting of the joint Oireachtas committee and doing statements in the Dáil.
“Any minister needs to rely on getting clear, timely and accurate information from the chair of a state body.
“This is particularly important at such a challenging time in RTÉ’s history.
“I would again like to put on record my thanks to the former Chair Siún Ní Raghallaigh for her dedication and commitment to RTÉ and public service broadcasting.”
Earlier on Monday, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar confirmed that the Government is to appoint a new chair of the RTÉ board on Tuesday, alongside two new members.
Ms Martin said: “An important step forward for RTÉ will be taken tomorrow when I seek Government approval for the appointment of a new chair and additional boards members.
“Upon appointment I will seek to meet the new chair and the director general in the coming days.”
