Government and opposition politicians say it is necessary for RTÉ executives to be transparent about the issues surrounding hidden payments to presenter Ryan Tubridy and not to adopt a drip-drip approach to releasing relevant information.
"Undoubtedly" there is going to be a "serious hit" to the television licence fee and commercial revenue will also be impacted following the payments controversy at RTÉ, Minister of State Patrick O'Donovan said.
On Thursday, it emerged that RTÉ had paid its top presenter Ryan Tubridy an additional €345,000 above his published salary between 2017 and 2022.
Speaking on RTÉ's This Week, Mr O'Donovan said the public service broadcaster has a "fundamental problem" and the sooner there is full disclosure over undisclosed payments "the better".
He said there cannot be "stonewalling" after the lid was lifted on issues at RTÉ and an independent external review is the right thing to do.
However, he suggested it is a "bit early" to be discussing possible resignations over this.
"There is an awful lot of questions that need to be looked at here first."
He said people are "livid" and it is the only thing people are talking about.
The minister said that while the organisation is not without its flaws, that does not mean it is incapable of being rehabilitated.
Reflecting on the top earners' pay, he said in 2015 he asked about a presenter's pay when he was a member of the Communications Committee and he was told he was not entitled to that information.
Read more:
Q&A: RTÉ response on payments controversy
Unions welcome external review of RTÉ corporate governance
Minister announces external review of governance, culture at RTÉ
RTÉ admits paying Tubridy €345,000 more than declared
"At the time I was lampooned by many ... for having the audacity to question the fact, that we might ask the question, for fear they might go somewhere else.
"To be honest about it, if we are going to rebuild trust in the organisation then everything has to be put on the table."
He said there also needs to be a re-examination of what public service broadcasting is.
"RTÉ have monopolised 90% of the license fee up until recently and I think that is definitely something on the table now."
He said the Government is the bank of "last reserve" for RTÉ and possible changes to the organisation is something that has to form part of any review in terms of the funding model into the future.
Mr O'Donovan said any extension or any reform of the TV licence is "dead in the water" but added the organisation needs to be kept afloat as it is a fundamental part of Irish democracy.
Information from RTÉ on payments needed 'very quickly' - Chambers
Fianna Fáil TD and Minister of State Jack Chambers said it is important that information comes "very quickly" from senior levels in RTÉ following revelations of undisclosed payments to Mr Tubridy.
Speaking on RTÉ's The Week In Politics, Mr Chambers said there is a need to know who was involved in this arrangement, how it came about and that there is "full disclosure of any other repeated arrangement with anyone else within the organisation".
He said there was a "web of deceit" and a betrayal of trust to staff at RTÉ and to the wider public.
Sinn Féin's Matt Carthy said the Oireachtas hearings will be "very telling" from the approach RTÉ takes to give full transparency.
Speaking on the same programme, he said he had previously questioned Director-General Dee Forbes and her officials on payments to the top earners when he was a member of the Public Accounts Committee and he said "it is clear information was not provided."
"I think the crux of all of this is a fundamental problem within some publicly funded organisations in respect of transparency and accountability and what we need to see very soon is transparency."
He said there is a need to know who knew what and when and who signed off on this.
"We will need the independent review to give us more beef on that," he said.
Mr Carthy said the second part is accountability, as he said the breach of trust is "so grave" people will need to be held responsible for what has happened.
He said the public was denied information and he added that he does not believe there should be commercial sensitivities.
"This goes to a culture that has developed."
Social Democrats' TD Catherine Murphy said there is an absolute necessity for RTÉ to be completely open and avoid a "drip feed" of information in order for its reputation to be restored.
Also speaking on The Week In Politics, she referred to previous committee hearings where pay cuts were discussed.
"Did they know about this when they met us? Did they mislead us? - is something I think we will want answers on. Is this the tip of the iceberg?"
She said it is also essential this crisis is not used within RTÉ, or from outside, to blame "the wrong people and punish the wrong people".
"That issue of culture is something that certainly I would like to address in the context of that meeting at the Public Accounts Committee."
Independent TD Joan Collins said the controversy has a huge impact on trust and there needs to be a lot of questions asked.
She said it also requires looking at commercial interests and public service broadcasting and any possible clash.
Higher Education Minister Simon Harris today urged RTÉ to send people at a very senior level to two Oireachtas Committee hearings this coming week and to put all the facts on the table.
He described the revelations about undisclosed payments to Ryan Tubridy as "an extraordinarily damaging incident in relation to public trust".
He asked RTÉ to answer the many outstanding questions by fully engaging with the Oireachtas Committees, and he warned against information emerging in a "drip feed manner".
Accountability will be demonstrated only by actions - Smyth
Chairperson of the Oireachtas Media Committee Niamh Smyth warned it would be "a huge mistake" if members of the RTÉ Executive do not give clear answers to questions they will be asked.
Speaking on RTÉ's This Week, she said it will increase annoyance and irritate the public even more while also damaging the RTÉ brand "even further".
She said she hopes that those who come before the committee on Wednesday will be able to give "clarity" and "accountability" on the issues raised.
"This is about a corporate governance issue within RTÉ and at the very highest level and when I say that I mean the Executive."
Ms Smyth said when questions have been asked previously of RTÉ regarding funding and sponsorship they are given the line of "commercial sensitivity".
She said that will not be accepted and RTÉ needs to give answers around who knew what and when and who agreed it, along with the timeframe.
"This is not something new," as she said questions are being asked about how long this might have been going on for.
Ms Smyth said it is not a witch hunt, but the committee is looking for those responsible to be held to account.
She said invitations went out on Friday to members of the RTÉ Executive Board to appear before the committee and they have not been given an indication if Dee Forbes will attend.
She said Ms Forbes is a key person "in all of this".
Ms Smyth said they have powers to compel the Director General to come before the committee but said she hopes the Executive Board, including Ms Forbes, "knowing the damage" that has been caused to RTÉ and in solidarity with their colleagues, will want to come before it to give clear and accurate answers.
Ms Smyth said she is satisfied the Government will pause any funding of RTÉ while this takes place.
"They will need to see RTÉ is serious about rebuilding confidence and there is accountability for figures like €200m and more possibly into the future for RTÉ."
Taking into account the level of anger among the public over the undisclosed payments, she said, it will be a "huge challenge" for RTÉ to get people who are usually compliant with paying their TV licence to continue to do so now.
"The only way RTÉ can do that is by giving that accountability..... This has been hugely damaging.
"But the staff of RTÉ need to have confidence in their management, the public need to have confidence in what they are hearing and they are seeing from RTÉ, the Government need to, the Committee need to," she added.
