Kevin Bakhurst tells RTÉ workers at protest it has been a ‘horrendous period’ for staff at broadcaster

Workers held placards that read ‘Protect Your RTÉ’, ‘Fund The Future’ and ‘Safeguard Your Stations’ at the gathering on the campus in Montrose.

After standing in the crowd while staff spoke of their frustration at the ongoing crisis and called on the government to deliver a better funding model, Mr Bakhurst came forward and said he appreciated the message they are trying to convey.

He said it has been a “rough few weeks” for lots of people and the organisation.

“I would say to you all, I totally appreciate that this has been a horrendous period for all staff, but I thank you all again for the incredible efforts you’ve made to keep the organisation afloat,” he said.

“What I would say to you all is; I’m absolutely determined. It’s been a rough few weeks for lots of people and the organisation. I’m absolutely determined to make this a better organisation for you all to work in, a better organisation to deliver to audiences and to rebuild trust and pride in working here. That’s my job and I’m going to get on with it.”

Education Correspondent and NUJ representative Emma O’Kelly said many workers are despairing about what they’ve watched and listened to over the last few weeks.

She said the past week has been like a bad dream.

“They’re like one of those dreams where you’re running and you’re trying to get away from something but no matter how hard you run, you can’t get away,” she said.

“That’s what the past week, and weeks, have felt like to me at least, and I think other people share that feeling. We’re tangled up in the weeds and the mud and we need to get clear of all this and we need to get out into clear water and chart a course forward to get the type of organisation we want to work for.” She said this should be fair and equitable and deliver good quality content to the general public.

She said RTÉ needs adequate and sustainable funding.

Ms O’Kelly said she did not want to dwell in the past, but believes the root of much of the scandal has been the issue of funding and RTÉ desperately chasing money streams because it is starved of funding.

“And if you look for example at the things like the flip flops, the London club, the rugby season tickets, that was all because RTÉ was desperately chasing advertising,” she said.

“If you look at something like Toy Show the Musical, it was RTÉ desperately looking for a goose that would lay a golden egg because we were starved of public funding.

“If you look at the big exit packages, the reason why the exit packages are so big is because the salaries were so big and again that was RTÉ desperately, I think, or part of it, was looking for somebody with the Midas touch who could get us out of this big hole we are in because of the lack of public funding.”

She said bogus self-employment at RTÉ “goes back” to funding and trying to get people to work on the cheap.