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Investigates Investigates Money Diaries The Journal TV Climate Crisis Cost of Living Road Safety Newsletters Temperature Check Inside the Newsroom The Journal Investigates Daft.ie Property Allianz Home The 42 Sport TG4 Entertainment The Explainer A deep dive into one big news story Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Advertisement More Stories RTE Studios in Donnybrook, Dublin, Ireland.Alamy Stock Photo IRREGULAR PAYMENTS Pricey artwork and land at Montrose among 'legacy issues' at RTÉ, says Minister The broadcaster yesterday defended a number of unorthodox payments uncovered in a new internal report. 8.44am, 29 Oct 2025 Share options LAST UPDATE 33 mins ago RECENT REPORTS OF financial matters at RTÉ relate to “legacy issues” at the national broadcaster, Minister for Media Patrick O’Donovan said today. A report into the station’s financial matters was discussed at Cabinet today after the broadcaster yesterday defended a number of unorthodox payments uncovered in a new internal report, saying they are historic and date back “years or decades”. RTÉ’s 2024 annual report was also discussed. The Irish Independent said yesterday that a financial report by RTÉ contained eight irregular payments ranging between €10,000 and €30,000, mainly related to pensions. It was compiled by RTÉ’s chief financial officer Mari Hurley, and also raises questions about a piece of land and a valuable artwork in the broadcaster’s possession, where ownership remains unclear. O’Donovan told RTÉ’s News at One today that the artwork in question is at the organisation but its ownership is disputed. The piece of artwork, O’Donovan says he understands, is worth “in the region” of €100,000. The piece of land is an acre at the Montrose campus that was given to Eircom, which predated Eir, for short term use. O’Donovan said the acre “now may have an impact on the future development of the campus” and “now, obviously the ownership of that is an issue”. Advertisement “There’s also some tax issues with regard to some personnel abroad,” he said. He said many of the payments are “fairly straightforward” but he has not yet received all necessary information on certain matters, such as pension payments made to survivors and widows. “I want to, obviously, as the shareholder of the company, be able to stand full square behind the current management and executive who I think are doing a very good job in the backdrop of what was a cataclysmic situation in RTÉ, in terms of transformation,” the Minister added. He further said RTÉ is a public service that needs to be funded, “and people who own a television need to put their hand in their pocket and pay for the television license”. “It is at the moment, coming out of an awful turbulent period where the license fee effectively collapsed thanks to the difficulties that are out there, but the new Director General and the board have set in place a transformational journey that will need support from government for a period of time, and that I will support,” he said. In an internal email to staff yesterday, RTÉ’s Director General Kevin Bakhurst said the financial matters “were identified and addressed by RTÉ, and were brought to the attention of the Department”, adding that most of the issues are “years or decades old”. Four of the eight payments date back decades, including one made to the widow of a former Director General, while the remaining four relate to staff who took early retirement under voluntary exit programmes in 2017 and 2021. RTÉ finances have been under increased scrutiny since revelations around undisclosed payments that emerged in 2023, prompting a series of Oireachtas committee hearings and demands for the broadcaster to improve its transparency. With additional reporting from Andrew Walsh and Emma Hickey Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Support The Journal Sophie Finn View 20 comments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Pricey artwork and land at Montrose among 'legacy issues' at RTÉ, says Minister”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Pricey artwork and land at Montrose among 'legacy issues' at RTÉ, says Minister”. 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