Staff at RTÉ are ‘disgusted and dismayed’ at the findings of a damning report on redundancies at the State broadcaster.

The report from legal firm McCann Fitzgerald finds that 10 people who were given redundancy did not qualify for it under the terms of Redundancy Payments Act.

It also found that the exit package for former chief financial officer Breda O’Keeffe was signed off directly by then-director general Dee Forbes, whereas it should have been approved by the Executive Board of RTÉ. 

Speaking to The Pat Kenny Show, RTÉ Education Correspondent and NUJ trade unionist Emma O’Kelly said staff were furious at the latest revelation. 

“Dismay and disgust - that’s what staff are feeling in RTÉ,” she said. 

“We’re also feeling that we are really, really sick and tired of all this. 

“We’re sick and tired of finding out yet again the double standards in the organisation that we work for. 

“We know that the public who tune into RTÉ to listen and to watch, they are sick and tired of all this and we need to say, ‘We share that disgust.’” 

Double standards

Ms O’Kelly said the report confirmed there was a double standards at RTÉ, with certain staff members given special treatment, while others endured years of low pay and precarious employment conditions. 

“We had a meeting yesterday before this report was published,” she said. 

“Kevin Bakhurst met staff across the organisation and we heard at that meeting from a colleague who described how she is terrified of being penniless in her old age because of the fact that for many long years, RTÉ claimed that she was self-employed when in fact she should have been properly employed by the organisation. 

“She was denied access to a pension as a result; she’s challenging this and, unbelievably, RTÉ is fighting her on this.”

A sign is seen at RTE headquarters at Donnybrook, Dublin in November 2019. Picture by: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo / Niall Carson

Other people said they were upset by the lack of transparency around redundancy policies and perceived favouritism at the organisation. 

“A colleague was texting me just a half an hour ago, making that point,” Ms O’Kelly said. 

“So many people had applied in their department and they were told, ‘No, you can’t go because we can’t lose headcounts.’ 

“This person is making the point that that doesn’t seem to apply when you’re talking about a chief financial officer.” 

The report also concluded that the Revenue Commissioners could investigate RTÉ  to see if the correct amount of tax was paid when the 10 individuals successfully applied for redundancy.