Committee of Public Accounts to examine commercial arrangements entered into by RTÉ and presenters, including those underwritten by RTÉ, which relate to public monies

The meeting with current and former representatives of RTÉ and officials from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media led by the Secretary General, Ms Katherine Licken, will examine commercial arrangements entered into by RTÉ and its presenters, including those underwritten by RTÉ, which have impacted on and relate to the expenditure of public monies.

PAC Cathaoirleach Deputy Brian Stanley said: “The Committee of Public Accounts plays a significant role in ensuring accountability and transparency in the way public money is allocated, spent and managed. Our role as the guardian of public finances is to ensure that taxpayers receive value for money for every euro spent by the Exchequer. This includes the licence fee and any other public funds allocated to RTE to fulfil its public service remit.

“While the Secretary General of the Department is accountable to the Committee for its oversight of the public funds it provides to RTÉ, RTÉ’s accounts are not audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General, and consequently, the matter of the examination of RTÉ in this regard would in normal circumstances not fall within the remit of the Committee.

“However, as the recent and ongoing revelations regarding the transparency of RTÉ’s payments to presenters are a matter of significant public interest, the Committee sought and received an extension of its Orders of Reference to facilitate its examination of these matters. This examination will include the corporate governance arrangements at RTÉ in the context of the significant public funds it receives on an annual basis and commercial arrangements entered into by RTÉ which have impacted on, and relate to, the expenditure of public monies. These matters for discussion and examination have arisen in the context of recent and ongoing revelations regarding RTÉ’s payments to presenters.”

The meeting in Committee Room 3 can be viewed live on Oireachtas TV.

PAC is a standing committee of Dáil Éireann which focuses on ensuring public services are run efficiently and achieve value for money. Further information on the role and remit of the Committee can be found here.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.