RTÉ reporter ‘worked in toilet’ as bosses shelled out for private club

Another day of revelations at Dáil committee as RTÉ board now split over management

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A senior RTÉ reporter was forced do live on-air interviews from cafe toilets in London at the same time as the broadcaster was paying thousands of euro a year for membership of a private members’ club there.

The revelation came after another day of shocking statements from RTÉ bosses who are now split over the management of the organisation.

RTÉ chair Siún Ní Raghallaigh wrote to interim director general Adrian Lynch hours before an Oireachtas committee hearing outlining her inability to express confidence in the executive board.

Late on Tuesday night, she privately warned of the board’s deep unhappiness with the people responsible for the day-to-day running of the broadcaster.

An RTÉ source said there was now a “growing chasm” between the board and the executive.

Meanwhile, mystery surrounds an RTÉ staff member who this week handed back a car that had been loaned to them for five years, as the arrangement had not been approved by management.

Details of Celtic Tiger-type spending on concerts tickets, restaurants, sports events and even flip-flops have caused outrage among rank-and-file staff.

The RTÉ journalists’ union branch reacted with fury after it emerged the broadcaster paid more than €8,316 over four years for an annual membership of the exclusive Soho Club in London.

RTÉ’s education correspondent Emma O’Kelly said the contrast between the “lavish spending” by the executive board and how ordinary staff had been treated during these years was “staggering”.

Ms O’Kelly said that while the broadcaster was paying for private member clubs, then London correspondent Fiona Mitchell was forced to use cafes there as a work space to report on Brexit because RTÉ had given up its office in London.

“Fiona was forced to use toilet facilities in cafes as a quiet space to record her voice for TV and radio reports,” she said.

“We are sickened to hear of money spent on pop concerts and other hospitality and perks, including – unbelievably – 200 pairs of flip-flops at a cost of €25 each,” Ms O’Kelly added.

Ms O’Kelly said staff were furious to read of “extravagant special allowances” being given to those already highly paid people included among the top 100 earners.

During the Oireachtas Media Committee meeting in Leinster House yesterday, RTÉ head of commercial Geraldine O’Leary said the membership of the Soho Club was in her name and had been renewed on an annual basis since 2019.

“The reason for the membership is, depending on the year, approximately 5pc of our business comes from the UK. Previously, we had offices in London in Millbank and previously on Bond Street where we would meet clients,” she said.

“It is appropriate that we have somewhere we can have private negotiations with clients, which is what we do.”

During a six-hour session in Leinster House, RTÉ chiefs were grilled on the expenses they clocked up on their controversial barter account used to entertain clients and secretly top up Ryan Tubridy’s salary.

Richard Collins clarifies why he said there was only one barter account in RTE

The spending included thousands of euro on tickets to Ed Sheeran, Garth Brooks and Robbie Williams concerts for staff and clients. There was also a bill of almost €5,000 for flip-flops for a client summer party and more than €2,000 on balloons for another party.

On Radio 1’s Liveline, presenter Joe Duffy said the executives should have gone to Penneys for the flip-flops.

“It’s a pity RTÉ didn’t go out to the market in Cumberland Street and buy 200 pairs of flip-flops. But, they spent €5,000,” he said.

The €2.2m loss from Toy Show The Musical was also front and centre, with RTÉ director of strategy Rory Coveney forced to defend his role in the project, which sold only 11,000 tickets.

Mr Coveney’s brother, Fine Gael deputy leader and Enterprise Minister Simon Coveney, has been recusing himself from cabinet meetings when the RTÉ debacle is being discussed because of the conflict of interest involving his sibling.

It also emerged that Tubridy and his agent, Noel Kelly, are willing to come before an Oireachtas committee to discuss the contract he struck with RTÉ to host The Late Late Show.

Meanwhile, Ms O’Leary was also critical of media reports about how she and her husband travelled to Chicago to attend an Ireland rugby international along with clients.

Asked whether her position as commercial director was tenable, Ms O’Leary replied: “I’m not sure my position is tenable.” She said this was because some of the reporting about her was an “invasion” into her private life and had affected her her mental health.

She said she was due to retire in eight weeks’ time but would have a conversation with incoming director general Kevin Bakhurst when he takes up the role later this month.

The committee also heard from former RTÉ chief financial officer Breda O’Keefe, who insisted she informed current chief financial officer Richard Collins about the terms of the contract as it stood before she retired.

She also said the barter account was under the control of the finance department but used by the commercial division.

As major cracks emerged between the RTÉ board and executive, a spokesperson did not respond to queries about Ms Ní Raghallaigh’s letter.

Board members are dissatisfied with the executive being unable to in recent weeks provide a complete and accurate picture of the details around the use of controversial barter accounts and other financial issues at the national broadcaster.

Incoming director general Kevin Bakhurst has signalled he will reconstitute the executive board – a process expected to lead to the departure of several senior executives.