Mary Lou McDonald and Micheál Martin clash over RTÉ

By Cillian Sherlock, Press Association

The Taoiseach and the leader of Sinn Féin have clashed in the Dáil over the governance of RTÉ.

Opposition leader Mary Lou McDonald said RTÉ top brass “believe the rules don’t apply to them”, while “working people playing by the rules” had been “abandoned by Government”.

She called on the Government to “sort this out” as she demanded “accountability and consequences”.

It came after it was revealed that Derek Mooney has been at least its ninth highest-paid presenter since 2020, but had not featured in annual lists as he was classified as a producer.

The development brought comparisons to the financial and governance scandal that rocked RTÉ three years ago, following underdeclared payments to host Ryan Tubridy.

McDonald criticised the previous coalition’s €725 million support package for the crisis-stricken broadcaster.

She said: “All of us were led to believe that the bargain with RTÉ was as follows: That they would be bailed out, that they would be funded, that public broadcasting would be absolutely supported, and that by way of return, there would be a change in behaviour and culture, there would be appropriate standards, accurate and transparent rewarding.

“And we now know that that is not the case.”

During Leaders’ Questions, McDonald asked the Taoiseach: “Do you accept that your failure to act decisively has allowed this bad behaviour at RTÉ – this culture of entitlement – to continue?”

In response, Taoiseach Micheál Martin charged Sinn Féin with wanting to “blame the Government” for everything State agencies do.

He said her position was akin to asking the Government to run RTÉ.

“Is that what you’re actually saying – that politicians should actually go in there and run the national public service broadcaster?”

He added: “I know you have to do this for electoral reasons and politics and play the game, but there’s a serious undercurrent here, and coming from the Sinn Féin party – that creates its own challenges.”

The Taoiseach said what had happened at RTÉ was “unacceptable” and said Communications Minister Patrick O’Donovan was meeting with RTÉ director-general Kevin Bakhurst and chairman Terence O’Rourke.

He also said any delay in the legislation to move RTÉ under the Comptroller and Auditor General also involved “considerable time” in pre-legislative scrutiny, which also involved Sinn Féin.

“That’s the kind of dishonesty that is characterising every one of your presentations in recent times at Leaders’ Questions.

“You don’t really care about the truth anymore. It’s just whenever something breaks out, let’s have a go at the government, let’s blame the government, and that’s it.”

Martin said there was a need for “far more transparency” in RTÉ.

On the funding issue, he said he did not agree that public service broadcasting should be abandoned altogether and defended the support package.

The exchange in the Dáil came after the Government approved legislation to move RTÉ under the remit of the Comptroller and Auditor General.

McDonald welcomed the development but said it was “long overdue”.

The Taoiseach also said there was a need for sensitivity in the relationship between the political system and RTÉ.

Amid interruptions from Sinn Fein’s Matt Carthy, Martin told the deputy: “If you could run RTÉ– you would run it in the interest of your party.”