The Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee has been informed by parliamentary legal teams that they are “in a strong position” if they choose to compel witnesses, a Fianna Fáil TD has said.
Paul McAuliffe, who is a member of the PAC, told Newstalk radio that he anticipates the committee will receive a copy of the second Grant Thornton report which has been delivered to RTÉ.
The second report deals with the period in RTÉ before the ‘tripartite’ agreement with broadcaster Ryan Tubridy.
The public service broadcaster has been the subject of controversy since announcing that it had under-declared Mr Tubridy’s earnings by €345,000 from the years 2017 to 2022.
Mr McAuliffe said that the PAC will now have the opportunity to look into the “consistency” of the evidence that had been presented to the committee by RTÉ staff.
It will also be an opportunity for the PAC to see the evidence of people who had not come before the committee, either because they were not in a position to do so or they decided not to attend.
“It will be interesting to see what their evidence or what their involvement in this report will be.”
He said questions still remain about accounting practices in RTÉ and for auditors about the balloon payment of €120,000 to Mr Tubridy at the end of his prior contract in 2019.
“I think the Public Accounts Committee are very conscious that in the overall scale of public spending this is a small story, albeit one that strikes to the very heart of trust. We are hopeful that we would wrap this up, that we would get these answers and that we will be able to publish a report.
“We have a Public Accounts Committee scheduled for the end of October. And I suppose it isn't clear yet who will appear before us.”
Mr McAuliffe called on RTÉ to forward the Grant Thornton report to the PAC. It was in everyone’s interests to “give clarity” and to continue the process of providing information without the necessity to compel anybody.
The question remained of whether it will be necessary to compel former director general Dee Forbes to attend the PAC, he said. “Do we need to compel them or will the Grant Thornton report provide the answers?”
Mr McAuliffe added that the Oireachtas legal team had indicated to the committee that they were in a strong position and if they chose to compel witnesses, they had that option.
He said it would be very difficult to draw conclusions in the absence of evidence not just from Ms Forbes, but from a number of other witnesses.
Wider crisis
The crisis at the broadcaster has widened beyond Mr Tubridy’s pay to RTÉ’s internal financial, accounting and governance practices and its expenditure on corporate hospitality for advertising clients.
Minister for Media Catherine Martin has launched external reviews into RTÉ and appointed forensic accountant Mazars to look into RTÉ’s barter account.
Discussions on a new long-term funding arrangement for the broadcaster have also been paused.
Auditors from Grant Thornton were brought in by the board of RTÉ to validate the fees paid to RTÉ’s top 10 earners, and to examine the €120,000 understatement of Mr Tubridy’s fees.
The RTÉ board said in a statement to PA: “The second Grant Thornton Report has been furnished and will now be the subject of detailed consideration by both the Audit and Risk Committee of the RTÉ Board and the broader board itself.
“This process is ongoing.”
Mr Tubridy has remained off air from his weekday morning radio show since the controversy erupted at the end of June. He is still being paid by RTÉ as its new director-general Kevin Bakhurst decides whether he should return to the airwaves.
During his appearance before two committees last month, Mr Tubridy said he had been “publicly cancelled” and it was “touch and go” whether he would be allowed to return to his weekly radio programme.
He said he wants to return to the airwaves as soon as possible “because it’s all I’ve got”. – Additional reporting: PA
