THE Government is set to green light an auditor to examine RTE's finances - just as the Public Accounts Committee warned it plans to continue inviting witnesses to testify before the panel.
Coalition chiefs also played down reports of hundreds of redundancies and a sell-off of 2FM amid the ongoing crisis over secret payments to Ryan Tubridy.
Minister of State Ossian Smyth said yesterday the external review process is expected to take months and would include interim reports.
He also told RTE's The Week in Politics that Media Minister Catherine Martin has the power under the Broadcasting Act to send in an auditor and he expected she "will use that power".
She is also due to meet with chairwoman of the RTE board Siun Ni Raghallaigh and incoming director general Kevin Bakhurst.
They will discuss the external review, Mr Bakhurst's plan to "reconstitute" the executive board and to engage with staff at the station Sinn Fein TD Brian Stanley, who chairs the PAC the Oireachtas spending watchdog - also said witnesses may be called in over the summer recess in relation to the payments.
The panel heard evidence from RTE executives and its board last week and has requested extensive documentation from the broadcaster relating to its accounts and payments.
It wants details of Tubridy's five-year contract and a legal note taken on the May 2020 video call where a key decision was reportedly made in relation to payments to him. At the hearing on Thursday, RTE's director of legal affairs Paula Mullooly said the note was protected by legal privilege and could not be submitted amid "active and threatened litigation".
The PAC has sought parliamentary legal advice in relation to this and called on RTE to waive the legal privilege in the interest of transparency.
Esta historia es de la edición July 03, 2023 de Irish Daily Mirror.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición July 03, 2023 de Irish Daily Mirror.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
THREE-FLOWING FOOTBALL!
Klopp has come up with a new dynamic triple threat on counter
MOORE'S MERRIER
Late, late leveller lifts new boss Darren
WE'VE GAT A GREAT CHANCE
Tompkins and Davies praise Gatland's clear vision and reckon 'the sky's the limit' for Wales
BYRNE: DON'T SEND ME TO BRITISH JAIL
Kinahan mobster fights extradition to UK over 'human rights'
Bruce wife: Our family's dementia heartache
'STAR MAY NOT BE AWARE HE HAS IT'
Killer Letby retrial over 'attempted murder of baby girl'
But heartache for other families
Garda chief confirms officer injured by Dail mob
A GARDA chief said an officer was injured in last week's Dail protests by a far-right mob.
Sophia so good
Hollywood great Loren doing well'after broken hip surgery
Eternal no more
Louise is accused of 'throwing bandmates under a bus' after quitting reunion in bitter row
Our lives will never be the same again..
Family mourns 'hero and son' struck by car