Minister for Media Catherine Martin is facing calls to answer questions in the Dáil over her handling of the departure of the former RTÉ board chair 12 days ago.
Siún Ní Raghallaigh said yesterday that she could no longer remain silent about what she termed her “enforced dismissal” which she said “seemed designed to traduce” her reputation.
The Government is this morning set to appoint Terence O’Rourke as the new Chair of the RTÉ Board along with two new Board members.
On the day that a former managing partner of the accountancy firm KPMG will take over at the helm of the RTÉ Board, his predecessor’s parting words are causing no little difficulty for the Minister for Media.
Ms Martin has insisted though that a minister needs clear, timely and accurate information from the chair of a State body.
And this is particularly important at such a challenging time in RTÉ’s history.
However, Ms Ní Raghallaigh said in her experience over the last 15 months the media minister had actively taken a hands-off approach.
And she said it was untrue that there were scheduled monthly meetings between herself and the minister as had been claimed.
Fianna Fáil Senator Malcolm Byrne described this as concerning as the minister had told him at the Media Committee last week that there were “monthly meetings”.
Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy is requesting the Dáil Business Committee today agrees a time for Minister Martin to face Dáil questions.
While the Labour Party said the statement was a devastating exposure of a minister not in charge of her brief and disinterested in details.
