RTÉ urged to end practice of 'side deals' by high-powered Oireachtas committee

The Public Accounts Committee has published more than 20 recommendations arising from its examination into certain aspects of RTÉ.

One of the Committee's key recommendations is that the Government brings RTÉ back under the statutory remit of the Comptroller and Auditor General so that it will become accountable to the Committee.

In its report, which runs to more than 90 pages, the PAC also recommends that the national broadcaster "implements, without delay, a register of gifts and reports to the Committee on its register of interests and its register of outside activities for staff at RTÉ."

It has also called for an end to the practice of so-called "side deals" such as that pertaining to Ryan Tubridy and for the national broadcaster to develop a policy for its staff and contractors "in relation to promotional work and use of social media".

Commenting following the publication of the report, PAC chairman Deputy Brian Stanley said certain decisions at RTÉ demonstrated a "lack of rigorous financial controls" and a failure of governance which damaged public trust.

“Based on the evidence before it, the Committee believes that decisions taken by RTÉ demonstrate a lack of rigorous financial controls, poor communication, little transparency and amount to a failure of governance which combined have damaged public trust in an organisation for which trust should be paramount," he said.

Other recommendations contained in the report include a call on RTÉ to publish in its annual report the exact amounts paid to members of staff who receive lump sums of more than €150,000 upon their departure from the organisation.

The Committee has also recommended that RTÉ ensures that the terms of any future exit agreements with staff do not contain any confidentiality clauses and that it be a condition of any exit agreement that the former employee must cooperate with any internal or external inquiries or investigations, including Oireachtas Committees.

"This is a concise report given the breadth of the discussion and related correspondence, and I recommend reading the report and its recommendations in full. The Committee is committed to ensuring that the recommendations in the report are acted upon and implemented," added Mr Stanley.