RTÉ has refused to give a powerful committee the contractual details of three former executives.
Public Accounts Committee chairman Brian Stanley said committee members had received a number of documents this week, but some had been withheld by the national broadcaster.
Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, he said: “There’s a number of documents that we didn’t get, very important ones that actually we didn’t get was – and I can confirm this to you – is the terms and conditions of the voluntary exit package for Geraldine O’Leary, the former head of commercial at RTÉ, and Breda O’Keeffe, the former chief financial officer, her exit package. We have been refused that.
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“We have also been refused Dee Forbes’ contract, she’s the former director general who we haven’t had the opportunity to speak to her yet and we’re anxious to speak to her.
“We didn’t get theirs and that’s very disappointing because (they’re) three people who have been very central to all of this.”
Mr Stanley said that Ms O’Leary and Ms O’Keeffe, as well as Ms Forbes, would be invited to appear before a scheduled committee appearance on October 5.
Ms O’Leary has appeared before both the Public Accounts Committee and the Media Committee, while Ms O’Keeffe has appeared before the Media Committee.
Ms Forbes has not appeared before an Oireachtas committee yet, nor participated in any of the subsequent investigations into governance at RTE, citing ill health.
Mr Stanley questioned whether other staff at RTÉ are also receiving such packages, adding that the committee will be seeking legal advice over the issue.
He said: “The question is here and most of your listeners will understand this, is that if you leave a job, when the term is up or when you reach the stage that you’re accepted for a pension… in a lot of jobs, there will be a financial package at the end of that and perhaps a pension.
“If you leave a job voluntarily, the expectation is that doesn’t exist. And the question is here is did that exist?”
Mr Stanley said there was a suggestion that not all RTÉ staff receive such exit packages, and the committee wants the details of any possible “hefty” payments that may have been given to outgoing executives.
He added: “There’s a very straight question here for RTE to answer: What system was in place here for senior executives who are exiting?”
