This morning.

On RTÉ’s Claire Byrne Live.

Chair of the Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht and Fianna Fáil TD Niamh Smyth (above right) spoke with Ms Byrne briefly about the report RTÉ published yesterday concerning the five Covid-19 guidelines which were breached at a recent retirement gathering (above left) in Montrose.

Ms Byrne started by asking Ms Smyth if the report drew a line under the matter for her or did she believe there were more questions to be answered?

She said she has read the report and that “most of the questions have been answered…maybe not all of them…”.

Asked what questions hadn’t been answered, she said:

“Well, the question of how this came to be organised in the first place. Now we do accept RTÉ are saying there is a Garda investigation ongoing and that restricts some of the findings that they can communicate in the report so, you know, I suppose as a committee, we’ll have to decide does that draw a line under it or are there further questions to answer.”

Ms Smyth said the committee will be meeting tomorrow where they will deliberate the report.

Asked if RTE representatives will be appearing before the committee, Ms Smyth replied:

“Not as yet.”

Yesterday: Five Breaches

Meanwhile…

Surely if they fire her, there'2 a spot for her in RTE @rte? You're all party people there, after all.

Kay Burley absent from show after admitting coronavirus rule breach https://t.co/ev9xAqYz7Q

— Langrishegodown (@MikadoofJapan) December 8, 2020

From top: David McCullagh and Miriam O’Callaghan flank Phil Collins at her retirement party in RTÉ

This afternoon.

That RTÉ gathering…

…RTÉ’s Health and Safety Review has found that five breaches occurred; three breaches of COVID-19 public health advice, one breach of the Plan for Living with COVID-19 Level 5 restrictions and a breach in RTÉ’s internal COVID-19 Protocols;

Via RTÉ:

Some people did not maintain social distancing during the gathering.

Where the two meters social distance was breached, some people were not wearing face coverings.

There was a breach of the requirement to avoid crowded places.

There was a breach of the Plan for Living with COVID-19 as there should not have been any indoor gathering which does not form part of RTÉ’s delivery of an essential service.

There was a breach of internal RTÉ COVID-19 Protocols for visitors to our site.

RTÉ Director General, Dee Forbes said: “These breaches should not have occurred and, as Director General, I am sorry that this happened. What makes this all the more disappointing is that this incident is not representative of the way our staff conduct their work in general, which is to be absolutely diligent in relation to public health guidelines and COVID-19 protocols.”

From the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, as an essential service, RTÉ has been pro-active in prioritising the health and safety of our employees and contractors,as well as those necessarily visiting our sites to contribute to our programmes, while also delivering vital news, information and entertainment to the public.

Dee Forbes added:”A close look at any of our productions over these past months, across our television, radio and online services, highlights our commitment to ensuring everyone who visits RTÉ is in a safe environment. However, on this occasion we fell short of our own standards. It is essential that we all learn from this and that none of us is complacent about the risks of COVID-19. We all have a role to play in protecting ourselves and others.”
In this context, RTÉ’s Health and Safety Review makes five main recommendations:

1. All present at the gathering to retake RTÉ’s COVID-19 induction training;
2. Implementation of a communications plan to reinforce RTÉ’s COVID-19 protocols;
3. Discussion of findings and lessons learned with RTÉ’s COVID-19 representatives;
4. Review of RTÉ’s visitor access and protocols;
5. Ongoing review of RTÉ’s COVID-19 protocols.

That’ll learn them.

Full review here.

RTÉ review finds breaches of Covid-19 restrictions at retirement gathering (RTÉ)