The review of voluntary exit schemes at RTÉ in 2017 and 2021 has commenced, Director General Kevin Bakhurst has announced.
Legal firm McCann Fitzgerald has been appointed to complete the report, which Mr Bakhurst is seeking by the end of September.
In a statement this afternoon he also said that he is committed to ensuring the report's conclusions - aside from any necessary exclusions under data protection legislation - are shared with staff and public representatives, as well as the media.
The review will analyse the context in which the 2017 and 2021 schemes commenced and operated, as well as whether the terms and conditions of each scheme were complied with in each individual case where an exit offer was made to an employee.
It will also look into whether any cost savings were generated for RTÉ as a result of staff leaving via the schemes.
Additionally, the review will look into whether a consistent approach was taken towards those who had applied to avail of the scheme but received no offer of an exit package, and the overall "end to end" process that RTÉ followed in administering the scheme.
The review will also look at whether tax exempt statutory redundancy payments were appropriately paid to those who accepted voluntary exit offers under each scheme.
An external review of the two exit schemes was announced just under a month ago.
It came after the broadcaster was asked to investigate the voluntary exit package that was granted to the organisation's former chief financial officer Breda O'Keeffe.
Ms O'Keeffe told politicians at the Oireachtas Committee on Media last month that she had availed of a package.
She left RTÉ in March 2020 and was replaced by Richard Collins.
At the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee last month, the broadcaster's then-Interim Deputy Director General Adrian Lynch had said that her package had never came to the Executive Board for sign-off.
Unions at RTÉ also raised questions about Ms O'Keeffe's package, saying clarification was needed regarding Ms O'Keeffe's exit package as a new Chief Financial Officer had been appointed and there had been "no change to the executive board".
It is understood packages that involve a payment to the departing member of staff are normally granted in circumstances where their role is suppressed or there has been a re-organisation within the company to reflect a role being made redundant.
