Irish government announces RTÉ examination

The Irish government has announced an independent "root and branch examination" into national broadcaster RTÉ.

The announcement was made by Irish Media Minister Catherine Martin who said public trust in the organisation "has been shattered".

The examination will be composed of two separate and parallel reviews.

The first strand will focus on the broadcaster's governance and culture.

A second review will examine contractor fees, human resources and other matters including gender equality and inclusion.

The announcement comes amid ongoing controversy about substantial undeclared payments that had been made to former presenter Ryan Tubridy.

Speaking on Tuesday, Minister Martin said: "Ever since the first broadcast of its predecessor Raidió Éireann, RTÉ has provided a public space for the people of Ireland to speak to and of one another.

"At its best, it has held up a mirror to Irish society, one that has demonstrated not only the best in our society but one that also revealed its injustices, both glaring and sometimes all too hidden.

"In doing so, RTÉ has been sustained not only by the tireless work of its staff over the years but also through the trust of the people.

"That trust has been shattered. The independent, root and branch examination of RTÉ I am announcing today is the beginning of our efforts to restore that trust."

RTÉ is funded by a licence fee and the government has insisted that management must provide full clarity on payments made to Mr Tubridy.

It is expected that the government's examination will take six months.

The governance review will be overseen by an expert advisory committee including Prof Niamh Brennan, Dr Margaret Cullen and a third member to be appointed in the coming days.

The second review committee will be led by Brendan McGinty, Patricia King and a third member.

Both committees will work in parallel and coordinate where applicable and they will be supported by a team from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

A government spokesperson said: "The comprehensive examination announced by the Minister today will scrutinise governance, culture, and practices in RTÉ in an unprecedented manner.

"These measures are necessary to ensure that public service broadcasting is open, transparent and accountable to the public."