Media committee to discuss latest Grant Thornton report on RTÉ

The Oireachtas Media committee is due to meet for a private session on Tuesday to discuss the findings of a Grant Thornton report into the governance of RTÉ.

The publication of the report last week follows weeks of turmoil at the State broadcaster after issues surrounding payments to Ryan Tubridy came to light in June.

Subsequent appearances by representatives from RTÉ before the Media and Public Accounts committees raised further questions over the governance structures and culture at the broadcaster.

Last week, it was confirmed that RTÉ's negotiations with Mr Tubridy over his radio contract had ended. Mr Tubridy had not hosted his RTÉ Radio One programme since the matter emerged.

The second Grant Thornton review pointed to a culture of “siloed management culture”, “poor internal communication” and “weak processes”, as had been alluded to at meetings of both the Media and Public Accounts committees prior to the summer recess.

TDs and Senators on the Oireactas Media committee will now discuss the findings of the latest report, with the committee's chair, Fianna Fáil TD Niamh Smyth, stressing that the relationship between RTÉ's board and executive must be repaired in order to resolve the issue, adding that the problems within RTÉ are “much bigger than one presenter”.

Ms Smyth told Newstalk Breakfast that much of the discussion in the media about RTÉ had been about Ryan Tubridy.

“The problems for RTÉ are much wider and much bigger than one presenter, and I just think it's good for RTÉ that there's been a line drawn under that, whatever the outcome might be.

“I don't want to get involved in the operations of who presents what, I just think it's important for RTÉ that they go on to deal with the bigger issues that they have, which is funding, which is oversight, which is governance,” she said.

Ms Smyth added that Minister for the Media Catherine Martin and the Government must have absolute confidence that RTÉ is able to do the job it is asked to do.

“Our job is to try and rebuild public confidence. I suppose the only way we can do that is by having or hearing from those within RTÉ that are tasked with the job of rebuilding that and how that's been done and is being done in a very tangible way that the public can see and hear,” Ms Smyth said.