Media

Two new RTÉ board members appointed by Catherine Martin

Chartered accountant and staff representative announced as new members by Minister for Media

Catherine Martin also made two appointments to the board of TG4. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times

Jack White
Wed Mar 20 2024 - 16:34

A chartered accountant and a staff representative have been approved as new RTÉ board members, Minister for Media Catherine Martin has announced.

Former ESB board member and chartered accountant Noreen O’Kelly and staff representative Shirley Bradshaw received Government approval as new members of the RTÉ board on Wednesday.

Ms O’Kelly is currently independent director and chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk committee of Ireland’s national deposit and return scheme Re-Turn.

She has held several roles with Independent News & Media plc and currently works as a part-time consultant on corporate governance with UK-based firm Advanced Boardroom Excellence, which assesses effectiveness of boards primarily in the UK.

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Shirley Bradshaw has been appointed to the Board of RTÉ as a staff representative having worked at the broadcaster since 1994.

She has worked in various roles across studio operations since then and currently works as a lighting camera operator in current affairs.

Ms Bradshaw was previously an elected SIPTU staff representative and was nominated to RTÉ's internal Industrial Relations Tribunal as the permanent union representative.

She was also previously elected chair of the RTÉ Trade Union Group.

The appointments follow several board member resignations in recent months, most notably former chairwoman Siún Ní Raghallaigh who resigned just hours after Ms Martin failed to express confidence in her in a Prime Time interview last month.

Terence O’Rourke, a former managing partner of accountancy and consultancy firm KPMG, who is also the chairman of ESB was named as her replacement.

Terri Moloney, a human resources professional, and Dr Neasa Hardiman, an award-winning film producer, director and writer, were also confirmed as new members of the board.

[ Accountant, HR specialist, film-maker: who Terence O’Rourke and the other new RTÉ board members are ]

Separately, Ms Martin announced Muireann Ní Chíobháin and Éamonn Ó hÁrgáin as new members of the Board of TG4.

Ms Ní Chíobháin is a children’s author, screenwriter and performer and has worked with both TG4 and RTÉ including serving as Young People Commissioning Editor.

Mr Ó hÁrgáin is President of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann and Chair of the Advisory Committee on the Irish Language in Kerry County Council.

He is also a member of the Monitoring Committee on the Irish Language in An Garda Síochána.

Ms Martin said their extensive experience will benefit the board of TG4 as it continues to not only grow the delivery of high-quality content to its audiences, “but also in its role in supporting the wider efforts to promote and sustain the use of Irish in our everyday lives”.

“On behalf of the Government, I would like to wish all four new members the very best of luck as they undertake a very important role in supporting public service broadcasting in Ireland,” she said.

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