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MINISTER FOR MEDIA Catherine Martin is today bringing legislation to Cabinet that would see RTÉ brought under the control of the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG).
The C&AG currently audits the finances of almost 300 public bodies, excluding local authorities and commercial semi-State bodies like RTÉ.
During last year’s protracted crisis surrounding RTÉ governance, following the Ryan Tubridy payment scandal, then chairperson of the RTÉ board Siún Ní Raghallaigh recommended that RTÉ should be audited by the C&AG. However, legislative change is required to expand its remit.
Minister Martin will today bring legislation to Cabinet to allow for this.
It is understood the General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill will also underpin further reforms and supports for public service broadcasting.
Under the proposals, funding schemes for the wider media sector will also be placed on a statutory basis, including the €6m allocation to news and current affairs announced in Budget 2025.
Assisted Reproduction
Meanwhile, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly will today seek Cabinet approval to draft amending legislation related to assisted reproduction.
In July, landmark legislation that provides standards and regulates reproductive healthcare and fertility technologies in Ireland was signed into law.
However, during the Oireachtas debates, a number of issues requiring further consideration were raised, which Donnelly said will be addressed in this amendment.
Among the issues to be addressed in the amendment will be measures to provide clarity for Irish residents/citizens undertaking donor-assisted human reproduction procedures abroad, it is understood.
This amendment is intended to set up a process to allow couples to apply for a declaration of parentage in respect of a child born as a result of such a procedure.
The new legislation also intends to provide a pathway for Irish citizens domiciled abroad and who have undergone donor-assisted human reproduction or surrogacy in another jurisdiction to have their parentage recognised in Ireland.
CAB update
Separately, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee is to update Cabinet today on the work of the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB).
It is understood that €3.3m in social welfare overpayments as a result of fraudulent activity was identified in 2023.
McEntee is set to bring new legislation strengthening CAB to Cabinet in the coming weeks.
Energy Credits
Elsewhere, Cabinet is today set to sign off the Budget 2025 measures relating to energy credits.
Once approved the first credit of €125 will be paid as early as 1 November. This means people will benefit from the payment in their November/December billing cycle.
The second energy payment of €125 will be paid from 1 January 2025, benefiting households in their January/February billing cycle.
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Should be brought under the control of CAB.
And on it goes, how’s the lovely Dee doing these days ?
@higgy636: She was about to present herself but she stubbed her toe. Her doc recommended she takes a 12-18 month rest. In the Maldives, I believe.
@higgy636: still out sick.
@higgy636: No improvement in her at all she got an awful dose bless her
@higgy636: not well at all, she has a desperate dose altogether.
Does this crowd audit the OPW as well? If that’s the case you’ll have to forgive my scepticism.
The irony of CAB being mentioned in the article. Despite the lies, cover ups & corporate fraud, there was no Garda raids, NBCI, Revenue, CAB raids on RTE. Instead the Misinformation & Lies was rewarded with mega Exit Packages, Pensions & NDA’s & a Bailout of close to a Billion Euros. RTE can now appoint their own Boss again from within under new EU rules, no change or transparency again & only a matter of time before the next scandal. White Collar Crime is well & truly alive at the top echelons of Irish society.
@SV3tN8M4: fianna fail, RTE and the Catholic church. The unholy Trinity that have been at the heart of everything wrong with this country. After decades of turning a blind eye to fianna gael and the church’s horrendous crimes, it was natural they would have a run at it themselves.
Someone has to have control over the spending of OUR money!!! And not RTE…..
@Ollie Fitzpatrick: It’s like giving a child a debit card and code!!!!
There a families waiting and depending on government supports to get through the winter.ryan tubridy still won’t pay pack hundreds of thousands bred o keeffe got 400k illegally and wouldn’t stand a chance if she was brought to court dee forbes god knows what she got glennan the same Coveney 200k plus it just goes on white collar crime with no accountability. The public accounts committee got their publicity and we’ll paid above their td and senator salaries
@Stephen Byrne: Tuberty was entitled to the money in his contract and when they fired him for speaking out that he was exonerated by the report he was right to keep the money!
@Pat Redmond:
Tubirdy did say he’d give the money back if he didn’t do the work…
He didn’t do the work, and he didn’t give the money back…
It shows his true character, he is a dishonest liar.
@Stephen Byrne: Hundreds of thousands ?
While the gravy train for the stars keeps chugging along
Mr Seamus McCarthy had bern Comptroller and Auditor General since 2012. Why has he allowed taxpayers money to be wasted. Why has he allowed procurement procedures to be ignored or bypassed. Why has Mr McCarthy allowed the building of the Children’s Hospital to go so over budget that no one knows what the final figure will be. The question needs to be asked as to what the function of the Comptroller and General Office is and to whom they report to. Who is actually monitoring them?
What a waste of taxpayers money documentries on Smurfit and ex coke head ben dunne. Their families are rich to finance documentaries on their loved ones. Ex dj gets off totally scott free. If a working class person had done what she did she would have got the 18 months. No justice in Ireland.
If a picture could paint a thousand words….
It was not a Ryan Tubridy payment scandal. It was an RTE payment scandal. RTE concealed the true figure of what he was earning to pretend they were keeping under 500k. On discovery it opened up RTE’s can of worms of hidden accounts and gross waste of public money. It suits RTE to blame Ryan Tubridy, get rid of him and carry on.
@Pat Redmond:
Ryan Tubirdy sent invoices from a shell company that had never issued an invoice before to a company in England that he had never sent an invoice to ever, for work had hadn’t done, all to keep the payments hidden.
Where did u get that from ?
@Pat Redmond: Did Tubridy not promise the Oireachtas he would pay back the 150k if he didn’t do the work?
@Sheila McNulty:
Tubirdy and his accountant said that to the PAC.
@Tom Murphy: And has he ever given any reason as to why he decided not to return the 150K?
@KTH: I’m surprised he isn’t running for fianna fail with that resume!
@KTH: the invoice was sent to the address supplied by RTE
I predict FG and RTE in coalition after the next election
The day Harris announced that he’s giving the ramshackle that is RTE, three quarters of a billion euro was the day I eliminated any doubt about giving FG a vote. Has to be an Independent vote at this stage.
Probably need a few more reports and committees to push this on a bit. They could meet in the bike shed, security hut, and children’s hospital. There is room besides the voting machines (remember them). They have the printer to print documents if they got it in the building in the end for a few million.
@did you every wonder: they could have built the children’s hospital with all the old reports Micheal Martins had drawn up when he was health minister.
At least the bike shelter and accessory work is still there.
Pat redmond he was to do 3 gigs for Renault with a stage the late late budget paid for he was paid for the 3 by rte and he stated he would give the money back if he didn’t do the gigs he didn’t and he didn’t give money back where was the revenue commissioners
@Stephen Byrne: he was contracted by RTE to do the Renault events. He was always entitled to the money regardless of the events happening or not. In light of his shafting by RTE it is hardly surprising that he didn’t hand them back his money.
Wind up order would be more appropriate
The RSA should be under investigation due to long waiting periods for NCT tests and their sheer incompetence in not utilising the CVRT network (the equivalent of the NCT for Commercial vehicles) into testing vehicles as you have to bring a car derived van to these centres. So the capacity is there in system but the RSA don’t want to do this.
And still we have the top ten earners starting with Duffy the whole way down. Nothing was done about any of them and there all still laughing at us the whole way to the banks.
Trash, they haven’t got a cent from me since 2019
I’m glad I’m up to date with my license, don’t watch RTE.
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