TDs have told the Dáil that public trust in RTÉ has plummeted, due to the broadcaster’s “spectacular abuse” of its position, creating a situation where the public are withholding the licence fee in “record numbers.”
Speaking in the Dáil, TDs gave statements relating to the national broadcaster in the aftermath of Minister Catherine Martin’s appearance on Prime Time, and the consequent resignation of RTE Chair Siún Ní Raghallaigh.
Minister Martin told the House that she had previously agreed to appear on Prime Time to discuss the future funding of the broadcaster, and to address the question of seeking transparency regarding severance agreements and payments.
She said “it became apparent shortly before my appearance that a number of media queries were being raised in relation to these matters.”
“I believed that in the interests of transparency it was necessary for me to address this matter. However, I was still hopeful that former chair would accept my invitation to meet her,” the Media Minister told TDs, adding:
“I must emphasise the importance of a Minister maintaining complete confidence in the chair of a State body. This confidence was eroded, but I believed a meeting would help to restore it and this was my only motivation in seeking to fully address the events of last week.”
“Regrettably, the chair did submit her resignation,” Ms Martin added, as she called for a redoubling of efforts on the “rebuilding of trust” in the State-funded broadcaster.
However, a number of TDs were deeply sceptical about the future of the national broadcaster, with Deputy Carol Nolan telling the house that the institutional reputation of RTÉ “has never been so low or so degraded.”
“Through a series of scandals, blunders, incompetence and outright negligence around good corporate governance, the situation is now a full blown omnishambles,” the Laois Offaly politician said.
She went on to say that the public are responding by “withholding payment of the licence fee in record numbers,” and that on everything from climate to immigration, the broadcaster had been unbalanced.
“Ordinary people I speak to are not just angry with RTÉ and the Minister, they are absolutely disgusted by the arrogance they see and by RTÉ’s arrogance,” she said.
“For some bizarre reason RTÉ feels it has a right to our trust; it does not. Its coverage of everything, from climate to immigration to the impact of Government policies on rural Ireland, has been absolutely woeful and unbalanced. Independent media has stepped up to the mark and has shown more respect to the communities in this State than RTÉ has.
“The independent media sector has shown itself to be far more professional, competent, trustworthy, balanced and fair. RTÉ should hold its head in shame. I have seen what has gone on in communities. Very few people I know trust a single word that emerges from RTÉ.
“This is the direct result of its own spectacular abuse of the privileged position it once enjoyed. RTÉ should be allowed to go the way of Virgin Media or even Sky and if people want to support it, then let them freely choose it through subscriptions.”
‘NEEDS TO TELL BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY’
Deputy Richard O’Donoghue, meanwhile, blasted what he said was “one sided reporting.”
“If I was running RTÉ, it would be run like a business. RTÉ is funded by this Government and it is a stakeholder in it. It is supposed to be a national television station,” the Limerick TD said.
“All they are doing is selling false information, as Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have been giving to their members for many years. It is all one-sided reporting.
“They have no respect for the people who work in RTÉ. They are being directed by the Government on what to say and when to say it. This is what is wrong with RTÉ,” Deputy O’Donoghue said.
“I have been a supporter of RTÉ all my life but if I was to look at RTÉ as a business and see what it puts out even at Christmas, which is stuff from 50 years ago, no wonder it is being subsidised. If it were run like Virgin Media or Sky at least, it would be sustainable and progressive but it is not. RTÉ needs to tell both sides of the story, not like the Government.”
‘ONGOING OMNISHAMBLES’
Deputy Peadar Toibin said it was frustrating that the RTE “fiasco factory” was “eclipsing” bigger crises in the country.
“I am thinking of the national children’s hospital,” he said. “I sometimes wonder whether it is easier for people to understand a €200,000 exit package than the €2.25 billion of wasted investment represented by the overspend on the national children’s hospital.
“Some 3,150 people have died as a result of accidents in HSE services over the last five years while 1,100 people died before an ambulance arrived because ambulances are arriving later and later.
“Some €300 million has been spent on metro north before a shovel has been put into the ground. People in Midleton are staying awake at night to act as human water gauges because of the lack of flood defences. Despite this, the bandwidth within Leinster House has been pretty much consumed by this ongoing and rolling omnishambles, which the Minister is involved in.”
Cork TD Michael Collins, of Independent Ireland, told the Dail that there were “two sides” to the controversy.
“We are aware of the debacle and the scandals going on with RTÉ. To be honest I do not know where it is going. As far as the public is concerned it is going nowhere,” he said. “The public have lost complete confidence.”
“I will take you all back a little bit to 1970, when a transmitter and antenna on a wooden pole was erected by RTÉ south of Rosscarbery. In 2001, the current owner bought the farm with a mortgage. In 2003, RTÉ replaced the wooden pole with an 18 m mast, in a slightly different area.
“On 18 December 2010 the family that owns the ground where the mast is located received a letter claiming adverse possession, which is squatter’s rights, from RTÉ. These are the lads that are now splashing money all over the country but they cannot pay people when they use their ground.
“The family responded saying they were the owners. In this time RTÉ had moved around the site and enlarged the area over the years. RTÉ has allowed Vodafone to place a mast on the site in Rosscarbery and, who knows, they are probably being well paid for that. The land registry letter proves that RTÉ accepts that the Canty family are the registered owners of the property. This is a David versus Goliath situation.
“We have RTÉ throwing taxpayer money left, right and centre – all in the nod and wink style – and then claiming squatter’s rights on another man’s ground in Rosscarbery. I have raised this issue with the Tánaiste, Deputy Micheál Martin, and with other politicians, but nothing has happened,” he said.
“Will the Minister, Deputy Martin, now intervene in this issue and show some respect to the people in this country who deserve respect at this time? These people had given the use of their land for the great good of the people in Rosscarbery and surrounds, but RTÉ have taken full advantage and are playing like a piece of dirt around the place. The Minister needs to intervene. RTÉ is acting like bullies at the top and this needs to be stopped.”
Deputy Mattie McGrath, meanwhile, reiterated earlier calls he made this week for the “fraud squad to be brought in.”
“Why is the Minister’s Government protecting RTÉ; the sacred cow out in Montrose?” he asked.
“Why is Revenue being held off from doing its business and doing its job in dealing with them? Why not send in the fraud squad, which I called for on 1 July last year when this first broke? No, the Minister is protecting them and doing report after report like everything else. The Government has a sad legacy such as the massive overspend on the new children’s hospital and the issues around broadband roll-out – you name it.
“This, however, beats them all. This situation is being enabled by the cabal. The cabal is expanding and the mire gets deeper and deeper. I have a feeling it will bring down the Government before very long because there is such an endemic rot there at the very top; not with ordinary level people.
“Ms Doherty, the former director general, Ms Forbes, and all those people must be brought in – be it through a subpoena or however else – and be held accountable. I do not believe the Minister or her Government have the energy to tackle it,” he said.