The Media Minister’s television comments about the Chair of the RTÉ Board last night “amounted to a summary dismissal on air”, the Labour Leader has told Breakfast Briefing.

Siún Ní Raghallaigh dramatically quit her role as chair of the RTÉ Board overnight, saying it was “abundantly clear” she no longer had the confidence of Media Minister Catherine Martin.

That came after the Minister appeared on RTÉ’s Prime Time – and accused Ms Ní Raghallaigh of ‘misinforming’ her about RTÉ exit packages on two occasions this week.

Ms Ní Raghallaigh said she had not made any “intentional misrepresentation” to the Government but said her resignation was “unavoidable” due to the minister’s comments on Prime Time.

Labour Leader Ivana Bacik speaking during the annual Labour Party think-in at Whites Hotel in Co Wexford. Picture by: Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland

On Breakfast Briefing this morning Labour Leader Ivana Bacik said Minister Martin now has questions to answer about her handling of the situation.

“It is certainly very dramatic overnight news and I think no one can doubt Siún Ní Raghallaigh has given a good deal of public service,” she said.

“It was rather shocking to see what amounted to a summary dismissal on air by the minister last night.

“I think the minister now has questions to answer about why she moved in the way she did – in this rather peremptory manner.

Chair of the RTÉ Board Siún Ní Raghallaigh on Kildare Street following her meeting with Minister for Media and Arts. Image: Leah Farrell/RollingNews

Asked if the Minister had lost control of the RTÉ crisis, she said, “It certainly appears that way”.

“It certainly appears that developments are taking place and that the minister is not on top of them,” she said.

“She did have a private meeting with the Director General Kevin Bakhurst and with Siún Ní Raghallaigh earlier this week and you know presumably this should have been raised at that meeting and done in a calm and considered way instead we are seeing this rather precipitous overnight news.

“You know, an announcement on air that the minister no longer has confidence in the chair and then the chair resigning overnight

“I don’t think that is a satisfactory way to handle what is a very serious crisis at our national broadcaster.”

Prime Time

On Prime Time last night, Minister Martin refused to express confidence in Ms Ní Raghallaigh.

She said Ms Ní Raghallaigh had twice assured her that the RTÉ Board had no role in approving either of the exit packages for the last two executives to leave the broadcaster – former Director of Strategy Rory Coveney and former Chief Financial Officer Richard Collins.

She said she was “deeply disappointed” to then learn that the RTÉ Board had approved Mr Coveney’s exit package.

Asked if she planned to remove Ms Ní Raghallaigh from her position, she said: “I have to give everything consideration but again, I need to hear from her first, it is only right and fair that she explains the situation to me.”

She said she had summoned Ms Ní Raghallaigh to a meeting to discuss the situation.

'No intentional misrepresentation'

In her statement, Ms Ní Raghallaigh insisted that she had not made any “intentional misrepresentation” in her meetings with the minister.

She said that in her meetings with the minister, she was asked if the board was aware of the exit packages – and she had confirmed that she was aware of them but said they had not come before the full Board.

She said she “neglected to recollect” that Mr Collin’s exit package did go before the Board’s Remuneration Committee.

She said she had already told the Department about the process leading to Mr Collins’ departure on October 10th – the day after it went before the committee but did not bring it up again in her meetings with the minister this week.

“This was not an intentional misrepresentation, and I subsequently contacted the Department to clarify the details and remind them that I had previously appraised them of the matter in October,” she said.

“Serving as Chair of the RTÉ Board is a privilege which requires the confidence of the Minister,” she continued.

“It is abundantly clear that I no longer do. My resignation is a source of sadness to me, but it is unavoidable. “

She said there is a “very urgent need” for RTÉ’s funding model to be restored and she does not “want this matter to distract from that”.