The revelation that RTÉ wrote off €3.6 million in connection with a problematic information technology project was never going to be good news, but it didn’t have to be front page news. Context, in politics as much as elsewhere, is important.
The national broadcaster has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons since the summer of 2023, when a controversy over the disclosure of its top presenter’s remuneration morphed into a full-scale inquiry into how it managed its finances. This led in turn to the installation of a new management team that has worked hard to regain the confidence of the Government and the public.
What seems to have annoyed the Government is that the issue with its finance and human resources computer system was not dealt with along with all the other issues last year. It would, indeed, have been wiser for RTÉ to ensure that this happened at the time.
In RTÉ’s defence, the issue appears to have been dealt with appropriately by the then board when it came to light. It was recorded in the notes accompanying its annual financial statements, which are forwarded to the Department of Arts and Media. It would appear the Department did not pick up from the accounts that something had gone wrong with a big IT project.
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The matter came to light when the Minster for Arts and Media sought information about large projects at bodies in his purview following problems with an IT project at the Arts Council. The timing of the subsequent disclosure by RTÉ may have annoyed the Government but would it really have welcomed its emergence into the public domain in 2023? It is something of a case of damned if they did and damned if they didn’t for RTÉ.
It would appear that RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst and his team retain the confidence of their Minister and can continue their work to repair the damage to RTÉ’s standing. This is to be welcomed, but what cannot get lost is that a significant amount of money was wasted. Better centralised supports for State bodies undertaking major IT projects is worth considering.
