Catherine Martin says current RTÉ Board members should remain despite Toy Show musical failings

Minister Catherine Martin.

CULTURE MINISTER CATHERINE Martin has said that the report published yesterday on RTÉ’s loss-making ‘Toy Show the Musical’ shows “serious failings in governance” at the broadcaster, but she believes that the current Board should remain in place.

Martin said that she and coalition leaders have discussed the report, which found that the RTÉ Board never gave approval for the musical, and that the commercial sponsorship the show had garnered was overstated by €75,000.

The musical made an overall loss of almost €2.3 million.

The Minister said that the report revealed a “dysfunctional relationship” between the RTÉ Executive and the Board in 2o22 and into last year.

Martin said that she is of the view that the current Board should stay in place in order facilitate the “day to day functioning of the organisation”, and to enable ongoing accountability to the Oireachtas for failings at the broadcaster.

Speaking on Morning Ireland today, Martin said that the Grant Thornton report made for “grim reading”.

Martin said that because people interviewed for the report were anonymised, she found herself trying to work out “who was who” when reading it.

She said that senior figures in RTÉ have agreed to go before the Oireachtas and reveal who they are in the report, and which quotes are from them.

She said she has confidence in current Board Chair Siún Ní Raghallaigh, but did not say that she has confidence in all of the board members.

The reviews that the Government commissioned Independent experts to conduct into the wider issues of governance and culture at the broadcaster are expected to be completed by the end of this month.

Martin said that these reviews will give “much needed clarity” on what went wrong in RTÉ in the past.

She said that the current board remaining in place will give RTÉ “much-needed stability”at a critical time, as it prepares to finalise its strategy for the next five years.

Martin noted that there has been a significant change in the rigour of governance oversight at the broadcaster, and a strengthening of leadership, including the appointment of the current Chair.

The Minister said that it is important that the ongoing work by the Public Account Committee, and the Tourism, Culture and Arts committee, continues to be aided by access to current Board members to ensure ongoing “accountability”.

She added that she has discussed this with the chair of the RTÉ Board, and Director General Kevin Bakhurst, and has been assured of their ongoing cooperation.