Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tánaiste Micheál Martin have both expressed confidence in Minister for Media Catherine Martin following the resignation of the Chair of the RTÉ Board.Siún Ní Raghallaigh announced her resignation in a statement after Ms Martin appeared on RTÉ's Prime Time last night, where she refused to express confidence in Ms Ní Raghallaigh.Ms Martin said she had sought a meeting with Ms Ní Raghallaigh after being "misinformed" by her on two occasions this week, in regard to the Board's approval of recent exit packages.In a statement issued this morning, Ms Martin acknowledged the resignation of Ms Ní Raghallaigh as Chair of the RTÉ Board and thanked her for her service "at a time of unprecedented crisis at the national broadcaster".She continued: "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."A spokesperson for the Taoiseach said Mr Varadkar has confidence in Ms Martin.The Tánaiste has also expressed confidence in the minister, with a spokesperson for Mr Martin saying the overriding priority was to stabilise the situation at RTÉ and to create a pathway to the future.It comes as Ms Martin was criticised by the chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) after she "effectively sacked" Ms Ní Raghallaigh on television last night.Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley said it was a bizarre situation and Ms Martin should have "kept her powder dry" until she met Ms Ní Raghallaigh today."I think whether the minister has confidence or not, I think she should have kept her powder try until she met with Siún Ni Raghallaigh today... thrashed it out with her and then if she felt she had to dismiss Siún Ni Raghallaigh from the position of the Chair of the RTÉ Board she could have done so after that," he said.Ms Ní Raghallaigh has come "through the whole process" of the controversy at RTÉ over the last nine months "reasonably well", he added.However he said she informed the minister she was unaware of former RTÉ chief financial officer Richard Collin's exit package going before the remuneration committee."Obviously that is a big deal," he said.Mr Stanley has said that from Ms Ní Raghallaigh's statement she explains how she informed the Department of the process which led to Richard Collin's departure on 10 October 2023, the day after it was approved on the remuneration committee.He said he thinks the minister should have waited to have an opportunity to speak with Ms Ní Raghallaigh and RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst today to discuss the timelines and sequence of events and then make her decision.Labour party leader Ivana Bacik said that she stands by comments she made on Newstalk this morning, when she said that Minister Martin's comments amounted to a "summary dismissal on air".Speaking on Today with Claire Byrne, she said she thinks that the minister's position looks "increasingly untenable".Ms Bacik criticised her "chaotic handling" of it and questioned why Ms Martin did not contact Ms Ní Raghallaigh before the Prime Time interview.She said while the minister was "very clear" on Prime Time that on two occasions she was given wrong information, it was "still an extraordinary approach by the minister" to take.She added that this comes after the minister has had a "far too hands off an approach" throughout the crisis that has been unfolding in RTÉ.Chair of the Joint Oireachtas Media Committee, Niamh Smyth said that she did not believe Ms Martin sacked Ms Ní Raghallaigh on last night's Prime Time, but instead revealed an issue over miscommunication between herself and the former chair.Ms Smyth said it appeared that Ms Ní Raghallaigh did inform the department and the minister about an exit package back in October, so there were questions for the minister and her officials to answer over what has happened in the last couple of months.She added that it was really unfortunate to see Ms Ni Raghallaigh leave the position as it has deepened the crisis for RTÉ.Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, Ms Smyth said that this morning, the committee reached out to department officials to ask when their first available opportunity would be to come before the committee.She said that she had asked that an invite be extended to Katherine Licken, former secretary general of the department and that although she was not obligated to do so, it could be helpful to resolve who knew what and when. She said that all of Ms Martin's team would be needed to resolve this.Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has defended her Cabinet colleague and said she did "not dismiss" the Chair of the RTÉ Board.She acknowledged that this latest development at RTÉ will add to the ongoing challenges at the broadcaster and affect public confidence in the broadcaster.Also speaking on Morning Ireland, Ms McEntee said that Ms Martin outlined the facts of the meetings and conversations."Minister Martin didn't ask anyone to step aside and I think we have to be clear on that."She did not dismiss her. In fact she has stated very clearly the work she has done over the last number of months."I think the difficulty here is all of us want to have confidence in RTÉ, we want to have confidence in those managing it and we want to move forward, that we have a plan in place that people have confidence in."Unfortunately when we continue to have information coming out in the way that it is, on a number of different of issues, it is very difficult for people to have confidence. This will add to the challenges RTÉ is facing now."Meanwhile, the Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris called on the RTÉ Board to publish the minutes of its remuneration committee meeting last October, during which the exit deal of Mr Collins was approved.Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne, Mr Harris said the management team at RTÉ could bring clarity to the current gaps in information at RTÉ without breaching any confidentiality clauses.He said that includes Mr Bakhurst and others.The minister said there are things that can happen today to bring clarity to the situation and "end this saga".Fine Gael TD Alan Dillon, who sits on the PAC and the Oireachtas Media Committee, acknowledged the former chair's "efforts and commitment in the difficult circumstances she faced over the past eight months" but he described the latest developments as another self-inflicted blow by the broadcaster."It is a regrettable situation that the Chair of the RTÉ board kept the minister, the public and the Oireachtas in the dark."He also called for the immediate publication of the minutes of all meetings of the remuneration committee.The resignation of Ms Ní Raghallaigh and the circumstances surrounding her departure will be a further blow to the morale of staff, Irish Secretary of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) Séamus Dooley has said.The move is the latest twist in an ongoing saga which has gravely damaged morale of staff and undermined public confidence, he added."The last thing needed in RTÉ is another crisis," he said.He added: "The future of public service broadcasting, the employment of RTÉ staff and of those engaged in the freelance and independent production sectors should not be undermined by ongoing controversies."The Government must act immediately to appoint a new Chair to avoid a period of further uncertainty."The NUJ has consistently demanded full transparency in relation to all aspects of executive remuneration and it behoves the Government to ensure that this is delivered."The ongoing failure of successive governments to reform the funding of public service broadcasting in Ireland has contributed to the crisis in RTÉ."
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