Dee Forbes banging the RTE TV licence drum again 60m uncollected fee *poll not working - pl ignore*

Now that the cheque has cleared its back to spend, spend, spend in the small principality of Montrosia...Verona here we come.... How's poor Dee these days btw?? , wishing her a full recovery, then she might be able to answer a few questions, maybe even return some money she didn't earn... One guy robs us with a shotgun, the other with a fountain pen,

Emma O'Kelly is back, 1 week until the results and more to come with the JC results, and then …

https://www.rte.ie/news/education/2024/0816/1465355-school-students-greystones-wicklow/

https://www.rte.ie/news/education/2024/0814/1465009-wicklow-greystones-secondary-schools/

You'd have to wonder where the south east correspondent is for this type of news. Not sure if he would cover that area TBH.

It was limerick a few years ago.

i knew i read that…my brain is still on holidays!! I was just wondering if a load of people,like 100s or more asked for a criminal investigation in the public interest would they investigate or just come out with the usual "no comment,lessons learned,contractual obligations,on taking legal advice,the attorney general says,a file sent to the dpp" usual bollix…?

And also how long he was out sick for and how long get got paid sick leave for… it would make us sick.

WRC will provide a number of public earning AFAIK.

Jimbo has gone! nearly !

Dear colleagues,

I would like to let you know that Jim Jennings will leave RTÉ on 31st August.

I would like to thank Jim for his long service to RTÉ and his great contribution to the organisation and public service media for almost 40 years.

Jim joined RTÉ in 1985 as a researcher and subsequently worked as a television producer/director before becoming Head of RTÉ Radio 1. He took up the role of Director of Content in 2017.

Jim leaves at a time when the organisation is re-defining the Audio and Visual briefs as part of RTÉ’s new strategy.

I am pleased we have been able to reach agreement around the terms of his departure with the support of the Workplace Relations Commission.

I wish Jim the very best for the future.

Kevin

KEVIN BAKHURST
DIRECTOR-GENERAL

ENDS

https://about.rte.ie/2024/08/22/rte-statement-jim-jennings/

And he's been OOO since all this kicked off a year ago, did he get his full wage from RTÉ from June 2023 to August 2024?

Drivetime asked RTE if anybody was available to discuss Jennings' departure, but no spokesperson was able to speak with Cormac and no further comment will be made.

D

Also just thinking about this "no further comment will be made", this is a strange statement. How can any journalist or research even consider this to be acceptable.

The DG should be available to take questions, to explain why this went to arbitration with the WRC and other aspect that he might be able to answer. A few questions read as Cormac would read

GRMA Kevin for join us on Drivetime, you say in your statement that you wish Jim Jennings the best in his future, do you think he could return to RTÉ after his long service, where do you see his future?

You say Mr. Jennings gave 40 years of great contribution to the organisation and public service media can you explain where he did?

You say "Jim leaves at a time when the organisation is re-defining the Audio and Visual briefs as part of RTÉ’s new strategy." why would you drop someone whom you seem to consider having a wealth of experience in his previous roles?

Jim Jennings has not be in RTÉ for the last year or more, was he on pay role is he still on pay role?

He was unable to attend the Oireachtas Committees due to illness, is he on sick leave from RTÉ and what are the sick pay rules for staff member?

Did you meet with Mr. Jenning here in RTÉ and / or at the WRC? Have you spoken directly to him? has any of your leadership team? If so how is he unable to attend work and the oireachtas committees?

Finally Mr Bakhurst you've exited about 5 people in the year that you have been made DG, how do you feel about this and do you expect any of your current leadership team to leave under similar circumstances?

And that was Kevin Bakhurst speaking with me earlier today. Where the F is Sarah? over to Arena its 6:30, courts out!

The government parties are busy pretending to disagree with each other in the run up to the election. They've done so for the last 5 years.

Why do we believe it would be higher? We don't know what was offered.

Also if RTÉ did pay taxes on CFO false redundancy she would still own tax on that amount of money. Can you legally pay someone else's tax bill? Surely that payment would be for the year of the tax bill not the current tax year.

O'Keeffe was part a redundancy package, that ended up not being a redundancy package and had the potential to be taxed, but we don't know if it ever was… or did we find out … we know RTÉ said they would pay the tax if it should be taxable (not really sure why? they even gave this guarantee).

But O'Keefe would be liable for tax on 200k, either in the year for the payment or in the year she receive the payment.

e.g. O'Keefee leaves in 2017 she owes tax from 2017 not this year, RTÉ pay for 2017 not for 2023, meaning that is a 2017 earning not a 2023 earning, so BoK would owe tax on what she earn in total in 2017.

Sure you employer could always pay your tax in the second year of employment so that you can evade tax in the previous year.