RT welcomes publication of reports

07/05/2024

RT has today welcomed the publication of three reports by the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and the Media, Catherine Martin TD: The Report by the Expert Advisory Committee on Contractor Fees, HR and Other Matters and the Report by the Expert Advisory Committee on Governance and Culture, as well as the Mazars Report into RT 's use of its barter account.

RT accepts in principle the recommendations made in the two Expert Advisory Committee Reports. To ensure we can formally respond in full within the timeframe suggested, the Board of RT and RT 's Interim Leadership Team will now take time to fully review all three reports, including the recommendations. RT has begun a programme of works to deliver on the recommendations, as outlined in Note 2 below.

On behalf of the RT Board, Chair Terence O'Rourke, said: RT has supported both Expert Advisory Committees and Mazars in their work and we welcome the publication of their reports by Government today. Their analyses and their recommendations, all of which we accept in principle, will make a significant contribution to the task of rebuilding trust in RT . RT is tasked with providing a vital public service. The organisation's corporate governance, transparency and operations must be of a standard commensurate with that mandate. The Board is focused on returning RT to levels of corporate governance and transparency that should define it. We look forward to working with Government, staff in RT and all our stakeholders, in delivering the process of transformation that commenced last year.

RT Director-General, Kevin Bakhurst said: We welcome the publication of the three reports by the Minister and accept in principle the recommendations included in both Expert Advisory Committees. We have worked closely with both Committees and with Mazars since last year to provide all information available and enable the completion of the reports.

We understand the need to restore trust in RT following a succession of revelations last year and I hope it is clear that we take the issues which have emerged very seriously. It is in this context that we are publishing today, in Note 1 below and line with our previous commitment, details of the total amount of compensation paid to key management personnel in 2023, usually reported in RT 's annual reports. The termination benefit amount includes legal fees. The events of last year are a source of deep frustration and disappointment to all of us in RT and those connected to this organisation. We have already undertaken major reform of RT and addressed many of the recommendations included in the reports and we are committed to continuing on this process of reform, now with the benefit of recommendations set out in the reports today. We will respond formally and in full when we have taken time to give the reports full consideration.

I would like to thank everyone who has continued to support RT by paying their TV Licence and I would also like to acknowledge our employees and partners in the independent sector for their ongoing dedication and commitment to delivering important and engaging public service programming and content to audiences, every single day, across RT 's television, radio and online services during a very challenging period.

Details of the total amount of compensation paid by RT to key management personnel in 2023, including legal fees, are included in Note 1 below, following RT 's previous commitment to publish these details in advance of publication of RT 's Annual Report 2023. None of the former members of the RT Executive, written to by RT , has consented to waiving their right to confidentiality regarding exit payments. A list of the changes introduced since July 2023 as part of RT 's agenda of reform and transformation is included in Note 2 below.

Notes:

Note 1: Transactions with key management personnel

For the purposes of the disclosure requirements of IAS 24 Related Party Disclosures, the term key management personnel (i.e. those persons having authority and responsibility for planning, directing and controlling the activities of the company) comprises the RT Board, the Director General, the RT Executive/Interim Leadership Team and the corporate functions reporting directly to the Director-General. The total amount of compensation paid to key management personnel in 2023 was 4.0 million (2022: 3.3 million), comprising salaries and other short-term employee benefits of 2.9 million (2022: 2.6 million), post-employment pension benefits of 0.4 million (2022: 0.4 million) and termination benefits 0.7 million (2022: 0.3 million).

Note 2: RT Reforms since July 2023

Communications at board level:

The Board Handbook is being updated to collate in one place all the legislative, regulatory and codes of practice obligations of RT .

The Board is undertaking a review of its skillset.

The Terms of Reference for the Remuneration and Development Committee have been updated to include such matters as (but not

limited to):

> Approval of the remuneration of executive management and any amendments, including exit packages;

> Approval of the remuneration of RT 's top 15 highest earners;

> Consideration of the remuneration of any non-Government appointed members of Boards of RT subsidiary companies;

> Setting and periodically reviewing the objectives, role and reporting line of the Group Secretariat;

> Overseeing any major changes in employee benefit structures throughout the RT group.

The Remuneration Committee met 7 times in 2023, compared to 5 times in total in the period 2017-2022.

The Terms of Reference for the Audit and Risk Committee, Remunerations Committee and Programme Committee have all been

reviewed and updated.

All committee and sub-committee meetings are minuted and the chai

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