Catherine Martin receives two RTÉ reports into culture and HR

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA

Media Minister Catherine Martin has said she has received two reports into culture and HR at RTÉ at the weekend.

She described the reports as “very dense” and will consider them for several days before bringing them to Cabinet.

Once they are brought to Cabinet, are published and there is a “positive” response from RTÉ to recommendations, Ms Martin hopes to “swiftly” move on to the issue of future funding.

“So I have the report on culture and governance, a report on HR and staff matters and I have the final Mazars report,” she said on Monday.

The Mazars report is the final version of a probe into the RTÉ barter account and any other identified off-balance sheet accounts; the Minister received an interim report last year.

Ms Martin added: “I’ve always said these are really important – those two Government independent reports are the only ones with recommendations that will be brought before Cabinet.

“But they’re very comprehensive, very, very dense reports, and I’m going to take a number of days to go through them in detail with my officials before I bring them to Cabinet.

“The significance of them too is I’ve always said that we wouldn’t be in a position to look at that future funding model until we have those in place.

“So when I bring them to Cabinet, publish the reports, and see the positive responses I’d hoped to receive from RTE in relation to any recommendations that are relevant to them, then we can move, which I would like to do swiftly, on to making a decision.”

Asked if the reports would be brought to Cabinet next week, she said: “I’m not going to put a date on it, but I’ve always said I want to move quickly on it.”