MEDIA MINISTER CATHERINE Martin has given two RTÉ reports on governance and culture, and on HR at the broadcaster to party leaders and hopes their recommendations will be implemented.
The HR report will look into contractor fees and employment contracts, and both reports have faced delays.
Speaking to reporters, Martin said she received the reports over the weekend and noted that these are the only reports “since this crisis emerged that will and do have recommendations”.
She noted that while some of these recommendations will be aimed at RTÉ, others will be aimed towards the government.
Martin said she has been giving the reports “detailed consideration for the last number of days” and has shared them with coalition leaders.
When asked if these recommendations will be implemented, Martin said it is her “hope” that they will be and added: “I think it’s important that they would be positively received from RTÉ so that we can move forward.”
Martin also remarked that both the government and RTÉ “need to move into the forward looking piece”.
She added that there is an “onus on us too and part of that is a decision on the sustainable funding model for RTÉ”.
At an Oireachtas Committee last month, the National Union of Journalists called on Martin to “end the uncertainty over the funding” of RTÉ.
In March, Martin said she was committed to making a decision on a new funding model for RTÉ by the summer.
When asked today about the content of the recommendations, Martin said it would be “inappropriate to comment on any of the content of these reports before I discuss them with my Cabinet colleagues”.
Martin said that the reports will be published as soon as they are brought to Cabinet, though added that “no decision has been made on when we’ll take it to Cabinet”.
The Media Minister said that “in the coming days” she would discuss with party leaders when to take the reports to Cabinet.
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