Dee Forbes, the former Director General of RTÉ, is currently unable to participate in any inquiries about her role in a number of disputes at the broadcasting corporation. This was revealed in a letter from her legal representatives to the Oireachtas media committee. Ms. Forbes has consistently declined invitations to answer questions in hearings held by the Oireachtas committee, which are investigating the financial and governance crisis that has impacted RTÉ.
Ms. Forbes announced her retirement shortly after the RTÉ scandal broke in June. This was triggered by the disclosure of hidden payments to Ryan Tubridy, the former host of the Late Late Show. In a recent letter to the Oireachtas media committee, Ms. Forbes’s lawyers stated that she is unable to engage in any procedures, and that she is actively receiving medical care.
The legal firm of Byrne Wallace sent the letter, indicating that the client is not in a position to be involved in any processes even with video links, breaks, written evidence, and so on. It has previously shared details of Ms. Forbes’ health condition with the committee. Further private medical specifics attesting to her state could be shared if required.
Dee Forbes led RTÉ from 2016 until mid-last year. She was expected to be replaced by Kevin Bakhurst but handed in her resignation ahead of schedule, amidst the Tubridy payment dispute. Her departure was prompted by a request from the then-chair of the RTÉ board, Siún Ní Raghallaigh, for Ms. Forbes to resign.
Ms Forbes, a high-ranking executive at RTÉ, played a significant role in the creation of the RTÉ’s Toy Show the Musical which unfortunately incurred a loss exceeding €2.2 million. In addition to this, the ex-director general is recognised for endorsing a disputed departure package for previous chief financial officer, Breda O’Keeffe, totalling €450,000. An investigation into the matter revealed that instead of the senior management team at RTÉ, it was Ms Forbes who signed off on this arrangement. Requests for a comment from Ms Forbes by the independent investigators of both the Toy Show the Musical and the voluntary exit scheme have so far been unanswered.
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