Longford Senator quizzes RTE execs on car loan

From summer flip flops to concert tickets the finances of RTE were under scrutiny as representatives of the State broadcaster's board were before The Oireachtas Committee on Media to answer questions on spending.

Fine Gael Senator Micheàl Carrigy, a member of the Oireachtas media committee, probed the RTE deputation on details that emerged in the course of the meeting.

The Oireachtas Committee on Media was told the RTÉ staff member who had a “loan” of a car “for a number of years” returned it last Tuesday.

The issue of which personalities at the broadcaster had a car as a brand ambassadors for motoring companies was raised by Fianna Fáil Senator Timmy Dooley as he questioned RTÉ's interim Deputy Director General Adrian Lynch.

Mr Lynch admitted one RTÉ staff member secured “the loan” of a car for five years. In a guarded reply the Deputy DG said: “I'm aware of one instance where somebody had a loan of a car. My understanding is that the car has been returned and that individual is a staff member of RTÉ.”

When Senator Dooley asked how long the car was on loan, Mr Lynch replied: “I believe for a period of five years.

Senator Carrigy asked if the staff member in question was on the board, an executive or talent. Mr Lynch said he could not give out that information as it would be “too specific and lead to speculation about a narrow group of people”.

Mr Lynch said on advice from the Data Protection Office he could be more transparent on the issue in the future: “I'm sure it will come out anyway,” he said.