From flip-flops to Garth Brooks tickets: more emerges on the RTÉ barter accounts spend

More incredulous financial revelations continue to emerge from State broadcaster.

The Oireachtas Media Committee has today been given a detailed report of RTÉ's barter account. During last week's hearings, the broadcaster's Chief Financial Officer Richard Collins said that he believed more than €1million had passed through the account. However, it has since emerged that RTÉ held more than one barter account, with the organisation refusing to comment on the matter. Despite RTÉ's silence, The Irish Times today obtained copies of the transactions contained within the additional barter accounts, with a host of shocking financial transgressions exposed. RTÉ barter accounts reveal shocking purchase of €5k worth of flip-flops. A summer party thrown by the broadcaster for various agencies and clients saw a jaw-dropping total of €5k spent on Havaianas flip-flops, with a further €2k spent on balloons for the same event. An agency event in which the head of sales at RTÉ attended a Bruce Springsteen concert cost €13k, whilst €1,300 was spent on taking 20 clients to an Amy Schumer comedy show. There was €9k spent attending concerts such as Harry Styles, The Eagles and Westlife. A whopping €138k was spent on securing ten-year IRFU tickets for access to Irish rugby internationals.

Some further details provided on the RTÉ barter accounts this morning:

? €7,688 on Spice Girls at Croke Park ? €13,730 on Ed Sheeran at Croke Park ? €2,481 on Garth Brooks. ? €2,306 for the swanky members-only Soho House in London to be used for 'meetings' in the UK. — Richard Chambers (@newschambers) July 5, 2023

There was €874 spent paying for a driver for MD Niamh Tyndall of Noel Kelly Management, as she was "eight months pregnant" when she attended an event. There’s a charge worth €2,306 for luxury members-only club Soho House in London, a dinner in pricey Dublin restaurant Isabelle’s for €1,469, and a transaction for €2,481 for hospitality at a Garth Brooks concert. Other notable inclusions are the spending of €4,568, which was simply listed as “alcohol” with no description. Moreover, there is a transaction for €18,201 merely described as "Fiat" for the group head of commercial. Over €5k was spent on an Edinburgh Hotel for senior staff members who attended a Six Nations clash between Scotland and Ireland. Meanwhile, over €3k was dished out on House of Fraser vouchers in 2019. The Committee is set to further explore these revelations over the course of the week, with the former chairwoman of RTÉ Moya Doherty today stating that she expects "more questions will arise in the coming days". READ ON: Ryan Tubridy and agent to appear before Oireachtas Committee next week