RTÉ to impose stricter threshold for board approvals after Toy Show musical controversy

File image of RTa director general Kevin Bakhurst

THE COST THRESHOLD blocking RTÉ projects from going ahead without board approval has been halved after it was revealed that a musical which did not receive a formal green light accrued millions of euro in losses.

It comes after a report into Toy Show The Musical – which recorded a €2.2 million loss after a single season in 2022 – found that that formal approval by the board for the musical was neither sought nor provided, despite that being a requirement for projects with expenditure of above €2 million.

It also found the board was not appropriately informed of the project throughout its development and the commercial risks were vastly underestimated.

RTÉ board chairwoman Siun Ni Raghallaigh is expected to again apologise to the Oireachtas media committee for deficiencies in governance.

In particular, she will say there was a significant lapse in oversight of Toy Show The Musical.

She will tell the TDs and senators that governance structures at RTÉ have been reformed and structured since the controversy.

Ni Raghallaigh will outline how the relationship with the board and the executive has been redefined.

In addition, the board now receives the minutes of all scheduled meetings of RTÉ’s interim leadership team.

Risk assessments are to be centralised in all decisions of the leadership team.

In addition, a new formal approval process has been established for major expenditure projects and all submissions on expenditure approvals must include a business case and risk assessment.

The lower board authorisation limit will apply to sports rights, programme acquisitons, programme commissions and operating expenditure.

RTÉ director-general Kevin Bakhurst will tell deputies that reviews into governance failures at the broadcaster have helped guide the introduction of reforms.

He will say RTÉ has experienced a difficult and dispiriting period after the controversy into financial mismanagement at the broadcaster emerged last year.

Bakhurst will outline an ambition to make RTÉ an organisation that the country can be proud of again.