Not a good look. I wonder did he go because this was going to come to light?
Threadbans:
CGI_Livia_Soprano
Sorolla
Stevie2001
Rothco
realdanbreen
Paterson Jerins
Aldo006
HBC08
Clay Shaw
Pintman Paddy Losty
northknife
StevenToast
ButtersSuki
Bobson Dugnutt
If RTE was a French broadcaster, the whole place would be in flames right now.
With reference to the majority being on over 60k per year - that is 100% inaccurate and simply reading their accounts proves that.
In a nutshell.
The CFO’s communication is terrible. Opposite of Lynch who is verbally smooth but completely incompetent at board level. I’ve never seen a man like Lynch to project so much calm confidence and power but have so little control or say so little without meaning. The CFO in that very Irish way is trying to point directly at people responsible and the culture in operation by not saying anything directly. He better get over that. The CFO was walked all over by DF, O’Leary and NK (and Turbridy pushing buttons in the background) but he better start singing because next week will be murder.
At this moment, it’s impossible to have trust in any of them because of the ambiguity and drip feed nature of the info or lack of info.
But I do think there’s enough ‘verbal agreement’ culture at play to fire everyone. But just Getting rid of everyone is not good enough at this stage. There’s been criminal activity with tax payers money.
I think that was a distraction plea from Lynch at the beginning. Go easy, We’re all going anyway when the new DG comes in. Doesn’t work like that, buddy.
I still don’t understand why Coveney is getting such a free ride. He’s been whispering to O’Leary during her answers too.
Not really walsh. Person in RTE in charge of account and/or commercial director, fine. Another person in RTE with nothing to do with the advertising account, or a spouse or relative of the RTE person, out of hand. It's fairly cut and dried and the rules should be documented. If not its more governance issues.
I think the better approach would be to refuse to work with any contractor who hasn't been hired by way of a public procurement tendering process.
So Ryan "I had nothing to do with it" Tubridy (#kindness guru who spent every morning for the past few years preaching about supporting local communities by buying local) is happy to continue taking his outrageous fees as the scandal worsens. He hasn't offered to return a single cent to the public or to make any gesture whatsoever to try to make amends. I'm guessing he'll refuse the invitation to speak to PAC too.
Not surprising really when you look at those weasels in front of the committee. Millions in salaries between them and not an ounce of sincerity between them - "wasn't my responsibility", "i don't remember", "I don't know my salary". Then Dee Forbes and her mental health issues. Fúck me.
They're all carbon copies of one another; entitled, arrogant snobs. Interesting insight into the type of culture that created the self-anointed "Toyman", who has a strong track record in burying his head in the sand any time someone says anything he doesnt like
Has it been asked how many hours per week that RT is required to work?
SIPTU/NUJ could force the "talent" and agent issue by members refusing to work with any contractor presenter hired with the input of a third party agent. Primetime radio and tv wouldn't be long grinding to a halt and a resolution would have to be found quickly.
Yes some Government departments are poorly run.
Let's not deflect though. This looks like a situation whereby a private entity in NKM has falsely invoiced a public body.
This is a feeding frenzy for politicians trying to make themselves look good.
The junkets & top ups for senior staff, the fighting any pay or condition improvement for lower paid staff, arrogant senior management , disregard for value for taxpayers money, crazy payment and procurement processes - this is all in line with the wider civil service.
Nothing new here, except it's where the journos work .
Who is kicking up about the missing billion that vanished into the HSE?
The HSE are losing out on over €750k a month due by not reclaiming costs from health insurance companies, because they haven't staffed the offices that were responsible for doing so. Three quarters of a million, every month. Imagine what a competent CFO would think of that particular situation.
All of these governmental institutions are a disgrace. But then, like politics, they are simply a reflection of the people they serve.
There may be a verbal contract eg if you turn up for the show we will pay you at previous rate from a previous contract etc.
However, I doubt that extends to any severance etc terms. If RTE say don't turn up, services no longer needed, that's that.
Unless there's some clause from the previous contract that could kick in, some sort of exit bonus \ loyalty on completion of contract and services no longer required.
Leo shouldn’t be asked questions like that when he is attending the EU leaders conference in Brussels.
.
A couple of thoughts from me.
First, proceedings yesterday and previous utterances have left me completely unclear on whether RT is out of contract - I bet there will be a dispute over whether his extant contract lapsed when he gave up the LLS (questions abound about when and why he did that; of course) or whether it just triggered a review to take account of the fact he was going "Radio only" (not to be confused with "Radio Silence", which is where RT seems to be at the mo). When the RTE Legal person said that it might be a verbal contract, I shivered. Having worked in a semi-state, the concept of hiring (or retaining a contractor beyond their contract end) would not have existed, let alone be countenanced.
From my perspective, Anne O'Leary came out of it pretty well. She was clearly exasperated about the whole omni-shambles, she had the chronology, events, who said what to whom etc to hand and gave her evidence with clarity; which was poles apart from the performance of most of her colleagues. I hope she isn't thrown out with the bathwater when the day of reckoning comes (if it ever truly does!)
He could almost be posting here...
The Taoiseach has said he cannot rule out the possibility that some of the payments made through the RTÉ barter account may have been on the wrong side of the law.
Speaking as he arrived at the EU leaders’ summit in Brussels, Leo Varakdar said: "I don't think we can rule out the fact that it's not just a case of irregular payments, that some of these payments may have been on the wrong side of the law. But I don't want to jump to that conclusion."
...
He said he was "not sure" the situation had reached a point where gardaí might need to be involved. "It did concern me to hear that payments were - or it would appear anyway - that payments were made by RTÉ to outside contractors for work that wasn't actually done... That does raise issues in terms of accounting rules, and company law. But I think we're not yet at that point."
https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2023/0630/1391990-rte-payments-politics/
But if the norm in an org is to issue a written contract for all employees services taken on then a service or employee being considered on the grounds of a verbal agreement is standing on very shaky ground if they are trying to argue that a contract is/was in place. Pull the OTHER LEG comes to mind
Look up what Conan O'Brian was paid for the tonight show to see what happened when it all commercial.
Id say all those working in the industry and hoping for reform of RTE be careful what you wish for, if the commercial and public service aspects are separated it will end up being like PBS America dull buth worthy not a place for a career in journlism it won't be the BBC because the money won't be there. Montrose will sold off and a small meida campas for the PBS bit. The commercial side will be just like Vergin or Newstalk.
Tubridy I think started in RTE making tea for gerry Ryan show, maybe he was on a zero hour contract when he was a student looking to get his feet in the door.
I think all this zero hour contract malarkey is a way of getting all the young ones in there now that know someone high up in RTE onto to the RTE payroll permanent
Surely both boards have to be stood down by the end of the day.
I'm a civil servant. I get paid 61500 per year.
Leo says laws may have been broken in regard to the secret barter account.
Hey, stop that loose talking, it will probably be used to justify the next hike in TDs and the political upper echelon's pay!! 😀
how much does Emma o Kelly earn?
I didn't actually get to watch it but got the gist from the thread and some clips.
We need more of the type on PAC who ask very straightforward questions, rather than grandstanding - which I gather from comments here was going on with some of the TDs.
This RTE board is full of sitting ducks, ask them the questions in a straightforward way and then sit back and watch them implode.
Not defend that kind of money or indeed the arrogance of Watt but if Grubby Tubby is worth 500k a year then the guy who is literally running the country is probably worth close to 300k.
Paddy has got himself a reputation as an irritable crank. Don't think it will be taken seriously.
However IT DOES NOT mean he is wrong and it should absolutely be taken seriously.
Gardai may have to determine that. It could be an advertiser, it could be friends of someone in RTE. We simply don't know, so best to let gardai investigators find out.
The bould Paddy has now made so many complaints to AGS that have gone nowhere that he must be in danger of a charge of wasting Garda time.
Suspect this will end up somewhere similar. Wrongdoing yes, criminality unlikely.
![Photo of [Deleted User]](https://wd.vanillicon.com/v2/d38dadd4e9049f636f3a15f844846484.svg)
![Photo of [Deleted User]](https://w7.vanillicon.com/v2/77d671660e2e6b61b0b12d65bfcaaaa9.svg)
![Photo of [Deleted User]](https://w1.vanillicon.com/v2/19a7a778b727ad07a3bbcea8101c61b3.svg)
![Photo of [Deleted User]](https://w9.vanillicon.com/v2/9429a6e87ca90295fb14e1083556c0c3.svg)
