Board Members’ Report

For the year ended 31 December 2020

The members of the Board of RTÉ present their annual report together with the audited Group financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020.

Principal Activities

RTÉ is Ireland’s public-service broadcaster, offering free-to-air television and radio services to its audience. RTÉ also publishes the RTÉ Guide, operates a teletext service and provides an extensive range of free web-based online services. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, RTÉ Transmission Network DAC (trading as 2rn), RTÉ provides analogue and digital network transmission and tower facilities to broadcasters and other users. In addition, RTÉ operates the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, together with other performing groups.

Business Review

Detailed reviews of the performance during 2020 and future developments are set out in the Operational Review on pages 30 to 76 and in the Financial Review on pages 20 to 28. These reviews encompass the principal risks and uncertainties faced by the Group and an analysis of its key performance indicators, financial and non-financial. RTÉ’s performance in meeting its annual commitments to its viewers and listeners, as set out in its Annual Statement of Performance Commitments 2020, are reviewed on pages 158 to 162.

Results for the Year

The results of the Group for the year are set out in the Income Statement on page 96 and in the related notes.

Members of the Board

The names of the persons who served as members of the Board as at 31 December 2020 are set out on pages 78 to 80.

Corporate Governance

RTÉ’s corporate governance arrangements are set out in the annual report as follows:

1. Corporate governance pages 84 to 91
2. Board members’ profiles pages 78 to 80
3. Statement of Board members’ responsibilities page 93

Directors’ Compliance

The Companies Act 2014, which applies to RTÉ subsidiary companies, introduces a requirement for directors to secure a company’s compliance with its relevant obligations (as defined in Section 225(1) of the Act), if the company meets specific size criteria specified in the Act.

RTÉ has implemented actions to ensure that, where applicable, its subsidiaries comply with the Companies Act 2014 requirements for directors’ compliance statements.

Accounting Records

The RTÉ Board members are responsible for ensuring that adequate accounting records are maintained. The measures taken in this regard include the use of appropriate systems and procedures, the employment of professionally qualified accounting personnel with appropriate expertise and the provision of adequate resources to the financial function. The Group’s accounting records are kept at Donnybrook, Dublin 4.

Payment of Accounts

The members of the Board acknowledge their responsibility for ensuring compliance in all material respects with the provisions of the European Communities (Late Payment in Commercial Transactions) Regulations 2012 as amended by the European Communities (Late Payment in Commercial Transactions) (Amendment) Regulations 2016 (“the Regulations”). Procedures have been implemented to identify the dates upon which invoices fall due for payment and to ensure that payments are made by such dates. Such procedures provide reasonable assurance against material non-compliance with the Regulations. The payment policy during the year under review was to comply with the requirements of the Regulations.

Group Companies

Information relating to subsidiary and associated undertakings is included in note 20 to the financial statements.

Financial Instruments

The Group has exposure to financial risks relating to credit, liquidity, foreign exchange, interest rate and operational risk. The Group has detailed procedures for monitoring and managing these risks which are set out in note 23 to the financial statements.

Auditor

The auditors, Deloitte Ireland LLP, Chartered Accountants and Statutory Audit Firm, will continue in office in accordance with Section 383 (2) of the Companies Act 2014.

Political Donations

With reference to the Electoral Act 1997, RTÉ does not make any political donations.

Relevant Audit Information

The Board members believe that they have taken all steps necessary to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and have established that the Group’s statutory auditors are aware of that information. In so far as they are aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the Group’s statutory auditors are unaware.