Ní Raghallaigh walks from RTÉ board as crisis deepens

Siún Ní Raghallaigh has resigned as Chair of the RTÉ Board following comments made by Minister Catherine Martin on Prime Time.

Ní Raghallaigh announced her resignation from the board in a press release sent at 12.50am in the early hours of Friday morning following comments by the Minister on Prime Time where she said she “lacked confidence” in Ní Raghallaigh in wake of the RTÉ exit payment scandal.

The exit payment scandal is another unwanted scandal for the state broadcaster, which is suffering from declining revenue after licence fee revenue dropped 13% last year following a number of scandals at the Montrose outfit.

Beleaguered RTÉ boss Kevin Bakhurst said that Ní Raghallaigh “would be missed” and that her experience and expertise were crucial to RTÉ.

“Without Siún’s experience, insight, guidance and optimism, beginning the process of meaningfully transforming RTÉ would have been a bigger challenge. Her integrity, hard work, commitment to public service and her appreciation of the important work you all do in serving audiences, despite many challenges, made her a valuable ally.”

Minister Martin said “I wish to thank Siún Ní Raghallaigh for her service as Chair of the Board of RTÉ at a time of unprecedented crisis at the national broadcaster. Her contribution to the process of reform and transformation underway in the organisation has been hugely significant; and her hard work and commitment to public service broadcasting must be acknowledged.”

“At this critical time for RTÉ, it is imperative that we continue the important process of restoring trust in the organisation.   As Ms Ní Raghallaigh stated, there is an urgent need for the transformation process to continue and a sustainable funding model put in place – I am deeply committed to this.