The Government will make a decision regarding RTÉ’s long-term funding position in a “period of calm”, the Minister for Finance has said.
Michael McGrath said that would happen after the Government’s two reports into culture and corporate governance are published.
He also questioned RTÉ’s use of confidentiality clauses in exit payments, saying: “I would question why RTÉ would put itself in that straightjacket.”
He said such agreements should only be used in exceptional circumstances.
RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst said on Monday that he expects to have new legal advice “in the next couple of days” regarding the publication of details of exit packages, adding that RTÉ has to “respect the law”.
He said external lawyers are examining “how far we can push transparency and what we can and what we can’t say”.
He added: “And off the back of that advice we’ll be seeing how far we can push transparency about some of the questions that have been raised – mindful of, we have to respect the law as an organisation and also mindful of all employees’ rights in RTÉ, which is always a maximum consideration for us.”
At the weekend, Mr Bakhurst confirmed that former director of strategy Rory Coveney received an exit payment when he stood down from his role last July.
He also said that RTÉ’s former chief financial officer Richard Collins departed RTÉ “by mutual agreement, with a binding confidentiality clause that was agreed to by both sides and in the interest of fairness and respect cannot be breached.”
