A report into RTÉ’s barter account use shows the station behaved in a way “not befitting a public service organisation”, Catherine Martin has said. 

In the wake of the controversy surrounding RTÉ’s hidden payments to Ryan Tubridy through a barter account, the Government commissioned two external reviews into the broadcaster - one of which was to examine their use of a barter account and any other off-balance sheet accounts.

An interim report has now concluded the barter account was used to buy goods or services in a manner that did not conform to RTÉ’s standard purchasing and procurement processes.

It also found there was an “absence of budgetary reporting” for the account and a lack of proper documentation.

In addition, there was no formal list of staff limiting who could use the barter account or which staff members could approve purchases.

In the wake of the report’s publication, Media Minister Catherine Martin said RTÉ seemed to have been using the barter account to avoid scrutiny of the purchases made through the account.

"It definitely raises questions there as to [whether] it was being used to avoid proper oversight, to hide certain purchases," she said.

"That's what we can see here; the report today says they cannot see any benefit to RTÉ of this.

"So if it wasn't of benefit to RTÉ, then it does point to [that]."

She added the report underlined a need for the broadcaster to change how it manages its finances.

“This lack of properly documented policy and procedures for using the account, and an apparent lack of checks and controls over who used it, is not befitting a public service organisation, and cannot be repeated,” she said.

The RTÉ Montrose campus in Donnybrook, Dublin. Picture by: Mark Stedman/RollingNews.ie

Today, Minister Martin held a meeting with the new Director General Kevin Bakhurst and RTÉ Board Chair Súin Ní Raghallaigh in which the contents of the report were discussed.

“It is also important to say that the first steps have been made to ensure proper controls are put in place,” Minister Martin said.

“I am reassured from my conversation with the Chair and Director General this morning that genuine change is underway.”

The final report is expected to be submitted to the Minister in October.

Main image: RTÉ staff leaving Leinster House. Photo: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie