The fiasco over Ryan Tubridy's pay is only one part of a 'much bigger problem' for RTÉ, Chair of the Oireachtas Media Committee has said.
Niamh Smyth was speaking after the broadcaster's Director-General Kevin Bakhurst said there are currently no plans for Mr Tubridy to return to his presenting role.
It comes after a Grant Thornton report showed that on the 'balance of probabilities', RTÉ understated the salary to Mr Tubridy to keep his payments below €500,000.
Mr Bakhurst said while a ‘core agreement’ was in place for the former Late Late Show host to return, "wider issues" could not be resolved.
"RTÉ rightly takes the majority of the blame for what has happened during this shameful episode," he told Newstalk Breakfast earlier.
"But everyone involved needs to take the right amount of blame for their own actions and for the actions of their teams around them."
Deputy Smyth told The Hard Shoulder too much time has been taken up with one singular issue.
"The remit of the committee is for governance, transparency and oversight - which of course has been hugely lacking in all of this in RTÉ," she said.
"The new DG, in fairness, is only in position since the 10th of July, and... every waking moment of the beginning of his tenure has been taken up by this debacle.
"This is only one part of a much bigger picture, and a much bigger problem, for RTÉ; and that is its financial future.
"Meanwhile, as this fiasco is going on, the public are losing faith.
"We see that in a very real way as the licence fee depletes and depletes every month".
'Eager to hear from the board'
Deputy Smyth said one thing stood out for her in the Grant Thornton report.
"We need every opportunity to regain public trust, and it's the committee's duty and responsibility to ensure that the board is now in a position where it is fully informed," he said.
"The theme that was screaming out of that Grant Thornton report was the fact that that hasn't been the position so far of the board, right up until now.
"There hasn't been that close working relationship that there should be with an executive.
"I personally would be really eager to hear from the board, and I mean the board collectively - all members of the board.
"That they see there has been sweeping changes in terms of the information that's flowing to them."
Deputy Smyth has said she is "really concerned" about where RTÉ's future is headed.
"This is one piece of the puzzle that has, I suppose, been put to bed - and I'm glad to see it's put to bed one way or another," she said.
"I do feel there's much bigger problems for RTÉ at stake," she added.
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