Latest news with #NewDirection
The Journal
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Journal
RTÉ paid out €2.7m to Revenue for wrongly claiming Covid wage subsidy scheme
RTÉ PAID OUT €2.7m to Revenue for claiming the Covid wage subsidy scheme when it should have ceased doing so. The national broadcasters' leadership team will appear before Oireachtas Media Committee at around 12.30pm to discuss issues such as a €3.6 million write-down on a partly failed IT system. RTÉ is the first organisation to be invited to appear before the newly formed committee during this Dáil term. Its Director General Kevin Bakhurst will tell the committee that in a 'reflection of higher standards of transparency', RTÉ last year undertook a review of its eligibility for the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme that was put in place during the Covid pandemic. RTÉ reviewed the period from 26 March to 31 August 2020, after it was found that RTÉ should have reassessed its eligibility in light of new guidance. RTÉ is of the view that it should have ceased claiming the wage subsidy from 30 June 2020 as it did not meet the criteria for continued participation in the scheme. This repayment for the months of July and August, including interest and penalties, amounted to €2.7m to the Revenue Commissioners. Bakhurst will also remark that RTÉ 'continues to fully engage with the Revenue Commissioners' in relation to a revenue audit which began last year and that it has made payments of €1.1m to date. RTÉ has also been accused of issuing bogus self-employment contracts for workers and it emerged that RTÉ was examining 650 cases where workers who were hired as contractors could have been entitled to employee status. Advertisement Bakhurst will tell the Committee that over 80% of these 655 case reviews have now concluded and that of those looked at so far, 40% were incorrectly categorised at the time as contractors. He will add that the New Direction plan is the best way forward for RTÉ and offers the best value for money and the most effective way that RTÉ can 'remain viable and thrive into the future'. The New Direction plan involves the loss of 400 jobs through a phased Voluntary Exit Programme in order to save money, as well as limiting presenter salaries. The voluntary exit programme has closed and 325 applications were received. Much of it involves enhancing its current offerings, such as the RTÉ Player, while investing in new digital services. Meanwhile, Bakhurst will acknowledge that RTÉ has previously 'made the headlines for all the wrong reasons'. He will assure the Committee that RTÉ has taken a wide range of meaningful actions. This includes a new strategy for 'significant transformation of our working and financial model over the years ahead' and a commitment to a 'smaller, more agile and efficient RTÉ'. Meanwhile Terrance O'Rourke, the Chair of RTÉ, will note that the New Direction Strategy is now subject to quarterly progress oversight by the Board's Strategy Committee. He will add that the Board's remuneration and management development committee now meets on a 'regular schedule' and is 'centrally involved in the approval of presenter contracts'. 'We understand that governance was not what it should have been in the past,' O'Rourke will say in his opening statement, 'and we are committed to ensuring that the national broadcaster is run to the highest standards because that is what our audiences deserve.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta' Season 16: Everything to Know So Far
The Real Housewives of Atlanta is serving up big peach energy in 2025. After an extended hiatus, Bravo's reality show will enter a new era when its sweet season 16 premieres with a supersized episode on Sunday, March 9. While viewers can count on watching familiar faces like Porsha Williams, Drew Sidora and returning star Phaedra Parks, new Housewives including Shamea Morton Mwangi, Brit Eady, Kelli Ferrell and Angela Oakley are expected to bring glitz, glamour and drama to Atlanta. 'I think people have been waiting a long time to see what we've done. We've got great new housewives," Andy Cohen told Bravo's The Daily Dish in December 2024. 'We've got the return of Porsha. We've got the return of Phaedra. Shamea is a full Housewife. I mean, she's someone that we've been seeing for years and years, but seeing her in this way is totally a breath of fresh air." Marlo Hampton Reacts to Real Housewives of Atlanta's 'New Direction' for Season 16 Here's everything you need to know about Season 16: On January 30, Bravo released the official trailer for RHOA season 16. At the time, the network also confirmed the season would kick off with a supersized episode on Sunday, March 9, at 8 p.m. ET. Episodes will be available to stream the next day on Peacock. Fans of the show will immediately recognize Porsha and Drew, who have already been full-time Housewives for multiple seasons. At the same time, viewers will quickly meet some new faces including Brit Eady, Kelli Ferrell and Angela Oakley, who is married to NBA legend Charles Oakley. Although she was a full-time Housewife for RHOA in seasons 3 to 13, Cynthia was grateful to have the opportunity to be a 'friend' of the cast for her season 16 return. 'As an official friend, I actually go on the trips and I'm actually with the ladies a lot more,' Cynthia shared with Us in November 2024. 'I'm a little more in the mix this time. And for me, it's the perfect situation for me because I miss the girls. I still am connected to so many of the ladies on the show, but my focus still is my acting career, which is going great by the way, but it's so much fun to stay connected to the show and to the fans.' According to Bravo, Phaedra will join the ladies with 'some extra sass and spice' later in the season, 'but right on time to make her sweetest return.' Cynthia previously teased that her longtime friend brings the heat in her highly anticipated return. 'It's been a long time coming,' she told Us. 'Phaedra's been away from the show for a while now, and I have to say she literally came in within, like, two and a half weeks left of filming and did something that's never been done before the history of Housewives.' Although Kenya appeared in the trailer for season 16 and was originally part of the cast, she abruptly exited the series due to an alleged explicit photo scandal. 'Thank you for all the support #teamtwirl,' Kenya wrote via Instagram in June 2024 after the incident. 'My heart is full and my conscience is clean. So many false claims hiding behind anonymous sources. All this conversation and no facts being reported. If a claim or source was valid, would they need to hide?' Former 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' Stars: Where Are They Now? While many story lines have been kept secret during filming, Porsha previously teased that she will be discussing her divorce from Simon Guobadia in the new season. "In my relationship with Simon, I felt like that if I had him by my side, we would conquer anything," she explained during a confessional that aired at Bravo Fan Fest. "However, I started just realizing a lot of different things that turned out to be untruth." Based on the season trailer, Porsha will also find herself discussing another ex. When rumors start to swirl about Drew's questionable partnership with Dennis McKinley, Porsha can't help but ask some questions.
