TERENCE O’ROURKE has been confirmed as the new chairman of the RTÉ board.
Media Minister Catherine Martin announced the appointment this afternoon, saying that O’Rourke gained vast experience at executive level having served as Managing Partner with KPMG Ireland as well as serving on the firm’s Global Management Team.
“He also brings a wealth of non-executive board experience, including chairing both Enterprise Ireland and the ESB,” she said.
She said she intends to meet with the new chair later this week.
Speaking after the appointment, O’Rourke said he is “honoured” to be appointed to the role.
“RTÉ’s public service role across news, current affairs and beyond is arguably more important today than ever,” he said.
“I look forward to working with the Board and Director General in charting the future for RTE, and to working with the Minister and Government to establish a stable footing for the organisation.”
Martin also confirmed the appointment of Terri Moloney and Dr Neasa Hardiman as members of the RTÉ board.
Moloney is a Human Resources professional. She is a non-executive board member of Enterprise Ireland and is on the Governing Body of UCC.
She was previously a senior director of HR, strategy and operations in Salesforce Ireland and head of HR in Boston Scientific.
Hardiman is an IFTA and BAFTA-winning executive producer, director and writer who has worked with Netflix, Amazon, Disney and Hulu, as well as public service broadcasters including the BBC, Channel 4, RTÉ and TG4.
She is currently on the board of Trinity College Dublin, the Irish Film Institute, the Dublin International Film Festival and Screen Skills Ireland.
“All three new members bring with them a range of experiences and attributes which will enable the Board to continue its important work of delivering further reform at RTÉ, whilst also driving new strategies to bring the organisation forward and continue to deliver high quality public service content for Irish audience,” the Minister said.
O’Rourke replaces Siún Ní Raghallaigh, who resigned from the role last month hours after the Minister failed to express confidence in her during an interview on RTÉ’s Prime Time.
In a lengthy statement yesterday, Ní Raghallaigh strongly criticised Martin, saying she believes her “enforced dismissal” from the role “seemed designed to traduce my reputation”.
It has since emerged that Martin only held three one-to-one chats with the former RTÉ chair in the space of almost a year, two of which took place over the phone.
The statement has prompted opposition parties to call for Martin to come before the Dáil to answer questions about Ní Raghallaigh’s departure.
This morning, Labour TD Aodhan Ó Ríordáin said that Martin’s position is “not tenable”.
“It is quite clear that Siín Ní Raghallaigh is exposing what we all felt, which is that the minister has no control over the situation, has been a bystander and not somebody who is fully in control of matters,” he said.
“She hasn’t been a main player in trying to resolve the situation. Minister Martin is now part of the problem.”
People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said that the RTÉ “shambles” is the fault of the Government, accusing it of failing to take control of the crisis.
Responding after Leaders’ Questions today, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said Martin would be willing to engage with an Oireachtas committee following the publication of the Government’s independent expert reports into RTÉ later this month.
“That can be done in a matter of the next few weeks and I hope that we can move on from this,” he said.
Separately this morning, the Public Accounts Committee published a report into RTÉ, recommending that the national broadcaster should be brought back under the statutory remit of the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG).
Contains reporting from Press Association
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