Latest news with #TheCurrency
RTÉ News
15-06-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
RTÉ had 'big bang approach' to partly failed IT project
An in-depth review into the circumstances which led to RTÉ's write-down of €3.6m for a partly failed IT system, found the broadcaster had "limited experience" of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation of the scale and complexity of the project. The review, by business consulting firm EY and commissioned by RTÉ, found the broadcaster also adopted a "big bang approach" to the project. The IT project set out to replace and integrate a number of outdated finance and HR systems and it was funded from the proceeds of a land sale in 2017. The EY review from 22 March 2023, which was released in response to a Freedom of Information request from RTÉ's This Week programme, relates to the write-down as revealed by The Currency at the end of April. The broadcaster said that details of impairments related to the project were included in RTÉ's annual accounts 2020 and 2021 and "were €1,869,750 and €1,188,534 respectively". The ERP ultimately delivered an upgrade to the finance system but failed to deliver on the HR overhaul plan. The EY report is called a "Lessons learnt review" and details a wide range of issues with the ERP across ten principal categories, called "lessons identified". It includes recommendations in response to each category. The review was ultimately presented to the RTÉ Board's Audit and Risk Committee on 20 April 2023 and minutes from the meeting reference EY noting that there was "a theme of over promising and under delivering" with the project. Some of the issues examined in the review relate to the original business case, asking if it was "grounded in reality and tightly managed". In the review, EY found that the original business case document "did not provide the rationale" for a strong preference for an integrated solution to combine HR and finance systems as opposed to standalone solutions. Questions raised in relation to management of projects - EY Other questions raised were in relation to the management of the projects, including questions such as was there "sufficient project governance in place" and querying "effective management" of all the contractors involved. The review questioned a number of aspects of the project management, stating that there were three project sponsors identified, but no single primary owner and that the project's steering committee "did not appear to consistently exercise its authority" over initiation and design decisions when delays were being reported. RTÉ's adoption of a "big bang" approach for both HR and Finance systems roll out led to a recommendation that "greater consideration" should have been given to the complexity and risk profile of this programme, and more in-depth discussions should have been had with the steering committee before a final decision was made. Key roles with the "appropriate skills and capacity" were not made available in sufficient numbers, it also said. Pre-agreed milestones were continuously missed by the vendors "without recovery or repercussions" during the design phase. There were also questions raised over the diligence during the vendor selection process, as it appears to have been "inadequate" as subsequent investigations by RTÉ indicated that vendors "had limited experience in HR systems". It also stated that there was "no evidence provided" to suggest that a performance management framework was in place. In terms of budget management, the review found that the steering committee made little reference to budgetary matters and that a "decision log does not appear to have been created", so there was no clear record provided of decisions made along the way. EY also found issues with the business requirements capability for the HR system in particular, as "complex requirements such as headcount reporting" were flagged by HR as "critical" but the vendor continued to postpone delivery of this, and testing went ahead in spite of this non-delivery. The FOI details submitted by This Week also sought minutes from the meeting when the final EY review was presented to the RTÉ Board's Audit and Risk Committee (ARC) on 20 April 2023 and minutes from the subsequent RTÉ Board at its meeting on 27 April 2023. At the ARC meeting, EY noted that this was "a complex project", with a "complicated project management team". EY told ARC that "quality was not managed carefully nor reported correctly" and that the "reporting of difficulties to the Steering group was 'substandard'". The minutes from the RTÉ Board on 27 April 2023 include a reference to RTÉ's former chief financial officer Richard Collins and updating the committee on the "implementation and transition" of the finance system to the new ERP system. The minutes show that the ARC chair Anne O'Leary noted the presentation of the EY review and that "there were issues around the selection of the vendor", and their ability to deliver and a skills gap. The ARC asked that lessons from the project be discussed at the executive board. In a response to the FOI, RTÉ told This Week, that the corporate governance reforms introduced over the past 18 months are "designed to mitigate against" the risk of the recurrence of a range of issues relating to the ERP project. The broadcaster also said that the review "does not analyse the financial details" of the project but, rather, "the reasons for the delay and non-delivery of parts of it" and that it was primarily a report "to help RTÉ learn from the project management".
Irish Daily Mirror
08-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Daily Mirror
Beyond The Pale organisers update worried fans about future of music festival
Beyond the Pale organisers have said the festival is saved 'for many years to come' just hours after confirming the business was going into liquidation. The Co Wicklow music event, which takes place in Glendalough from June 13 until June 15, 'very nearly stumbled' to being cancelled after The Currency reported that the festival's organiser had informed stakeholders the event was off, following a decision to immediately liquidate Cupola Events Ltd, the company behind the festival. As many as 12,000 fans were left confused on Saturday about ticket refunds, but on Saturday night, Beyond the Pale organisers revealed they had been saved and confirmed the festival will continue for 'many years to come'. In a statement, Beyond the Pale – which is run by promoter Declan Forde - said: 'Look, it's unbelievably tough out there for independent festivals, venues, promoters, artists… we all know that. 'Today we very nearly stumbled. But the festival gods smiled upon us, and the fate of Beyond the Pale is secure for 2025 — and for many years to come.' 'Thanks for bearing with us today, thanks for all the messages and gestures of support… and see you at Glendalough next week! 'PS: The forecast is hot and sunny.' Among those delighted to hear the news, including Jennifer Zamparelli, who wrote: 'Can't wait.' Festival organisers issued a follow-up statement on Sunday going into further detail about how perilously close this year's event came to being cancelled after "an essential piece of expected finance... fell through." However, the festival's future has now been secured after organisers were 'approached by a very highly-regarded operator who sympathised with the struggles of putting on events... and offered to help'. 'Thanks for bearing with us over the past two days," the festival's organisers said in a statement. "We want to share more about what happened and to reassure everybody that the festival is secure and we are full throttle for next weekend and beyond. "A festival needs significant cashflow over the festival month. It's a huge challenge for all festivals in their first few years, and this week, an essential piece of expected finance that would have helped us through the period fell through. "Whilst we had not made any announcement we were cancelling, we did have to pause the work that was happening on site. "As it happens, the online chatter led to us being approached by a very highly-regarded operator who sympathised with the struggles of putting on events as an independent operator, and offered to help. "We spent the day figuring it out together, and then put out a short public statement the moment we could. "To reassure ticket holders, artists, vendors and everyone else involved: The festival is going ahead as planned, with the same infrastructure, line-up, safety and experience that everybody expects. The next few days are going to be very busy, but we will be ready to open the campsites at 12noon and the arena at 4.30pm on Friday. "It was incredible to see so much support for the event over the day, and it was this passion - from all of you on social media, on site and beyond - that put the wheels in motion for us to get the show golden for next weekend. "So - we all did this together. Thank you all. Your support means everything to our team. Let's have the party of a lifetime.' This year's lineup includes Jon Hopkins, Róisín Murphy, Boney M, Jeff Mills, TV on the Radio, and Samantha Mumba. DJ Dave Clarke, set to travel from Amsterdam to perform, told RTÉ on Sunday: 'It's very confusing. I've seen the reports, but the information changes all the time. I'll still be flying to Ireland – I love it too much.' Launched in 2022 with fewer than 5,000 attendees, Beyond the Pale has quickly grown to host over 10,000 people. It was named Best Small Festival at the IMRO Awards last year.
Extra.ie
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Beyond the Pale festival confirms it WILL go ahead after behind-the-scenes chaos
The organisers of Beyond the Pale have confirmed the three-day music and arts festival will go ahead next weekend – but admitted it came dangerously close to being cancelled. The statement followed a wave of confusion over the weekend after The Currency reported that the festival's organiser had informed stakeholders the event was off, following a decision to immediately liquidate Cupola Events Ltd, the company behind the festival. The festival, set to welcome 12,000 attendees to Glendalough, Co Wicklow from June 13 to 15th, remained in limbo for hours while fans, artists, and industry insiders awaited clarity. Pic: Shutterstock Late on Sunday, organisers broke their silence on social media, saying: 'Look, it's unbelievably tough out there for independent festivals, venues, promoters, artists… we all know that. Today we very nearly stumbled. But the festival gods smiled upon us, and the fate of Beyond the Pale is secure for 2025 — and for many years to come.' 'Thanks for bearing with us today, thanks for all the messages and gestures of support… and see you at Glendalough next week! PS: The forecast is hot and sunny.' Pic: Shutterstock Despite the chaos, tickets remained on sale throughout the weekend, with three-day camping passes priced at €269. This year's lineup includes Jon Hopkins, Róisín Murphy, Boney M, Jeff Mills, TV on the Radio, and Samantha Mumba. DJ Dave Clarke, set to travel from Amsterdam to perform, told RTÉ on Sunday: 'It's very confusing. I've seen the reports, but the information changes all the time. I'll still be flying to Ireland – I love it too much.' Launched in 2022 with fewer than 5,000 attendees, Beyond the Pale has quickly grown to host over 10,000 people. It was named Best Small Festival at the IMRO Awards last year. Find the festival's full programme here.
RTÉ News
06-06-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
RTÉ documentary findings mirrored similar scandal in France
Thomas Hubert, Editor at The Currency, looks back at how Emeis Ireland, the company which owns the two nursing homes at the centre of the recent RTÉ Investigates programme, came to be in Ireland.
Irish Examiner
17-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Mick Clifford: Blended working not to everyone's taste
I have great social skills, says I to myself in the mirror this morning. Yes I do. No you don't, says anybody I subsequently asked. You're a disaster. Why this momentary lapse into introspection? It's because I am among the legions who now work remotely. This week, we were told that 'social skills have fallen off a cliff since the start of remote working'. This came from Neil McDonnell, chief executive of the small business group, ISME. He was reacting to, in 90% agreement with according to himself, an outburst by Denis O'Brien about the concept of remote working. O'Brien told a gathering in Dublin's Mansion House last Friday that working from home was 'a load of nonsense'. He suggested that the cultural change that has swept through the workplace since covid has impacted on the national work ethic. 'We have always had a great reputation in Ireland for hard work,' the former chairman of Digicel said. 'Unfortunately, there is now a pervasive, what I call 'entitlement culture', where graduates and young people are dictating their work practices to their employers. 'This lark of people saying, 'I'll come into the office on Tuesday and Wednesday; otherwise I'm going to be working at home', is a load of nonsense. I don't employ those kinds of people, and to be honest with you, I never will.' According to The Currency website, the comments were met with 'enthusiastic applause' from the audience at the Mazar's investor awards event. Others like the Social Democrats said Mr O'Brien had a 'brass neck'. Their spokesperson Sinead Gibney said what was a 'nonsense' was that the right to work from home in this country is so weak. 'Instead of taking advice from tax-exile billionaires, the Government should look at the facts,' she said. 'Regrettably, when I asked the Taoiseach today if this government intended to further bolster the right to work from home, he dodged the question.' Remote working is just another of a growing list of topics these days on which opinion is polarised. One is either for or against it. To somebody like Denis O'Brien, the concept is anathema but then he is a massively driven businessman for whom work is a lot more than just, well, work. He would not claim to be a paragon, or possibly even understand, the notion of a work-life balance. He didn't get where he is in terms of his wealth through a 40-hour week with appropriate breaks, shift allowance and paternity leave, all of which are important to plenty of people. And good luck to him. The world needs O'Briens in order to fuel economies, but it doesn't need too many of his ilk Remote working is just another of a growing list of topics these days on which opinion is polarised. Some people have difficulty in finding a place to live and remote, or more typically, blended working can facilitate living many miles from the office. Remote working has, for many, been the silver lining of the pandemic. It has transformed working lives. The jury is actually out in a global sense as to whether or not it has impacted on productivity. Has the change in culture led to some people taking the proverbial? Most likely, yes. But some people have always taken the proverbial, whether or not chained to a station in a designated place of work. A recruitment consultant who confided in me this week said that an issue that arises these days among prospective employees is the requirement to work from home in order to walk their dog. Suffice to say the dog needs walking but maybe priorities in such a scenario should be revisited. As for an 'entitlement culture', surely that is a product of a tight labour market. The balance of power between employer and prospective employee is a direct product of economic times. Productivity and creativity There are arguments that productivity for some has increased. In the days before the pandemic, it is safe to say that most people who were in attendance at the designated place of work were not productive for the full 40 hours. That's not suggesting laziness or bad management but just the nature of things. So even if the 40 are not put down at a work station at home, it doesn't follow that productivity has been reduced. Working from home has allowed people to compress, not compromise, productivity. To dismiss the cultural shift as 'a load of nonsense' is definitely nonsense, but there are aspects to remote working that have to be having an impact. In his address, O'Brien suggested that what has occurred has led to, among other things, a loss of energy, creativity, and ideas. Another source who gave me the benefit of their wisdom in this area described it as 'lateral information flow'. Or, if you will, the informal and often casual interaction, knocking together of heads, accidental brainstorming that can and does occur in a place of work. It is impossible to measure, but over the longer term its absence becomes obvious in results. In the first instance the loss accumulated falls on the employer but the loss of creative thought affects all in one form or another. This is the cost of the trade offs inherent in remote working and whether it's a bargain all round, too expensive, or simply a fair trade, is a long way off determining More importantly, and equally opaque in the short term, is the cultural impact of the loss of socialisation at work. This could have a serious impact on some among Gen Z who are either entering the workforce or are in the early straits of a career. This generation is the first to grow up largely through their phones in a world created by their parents. That has impacted on a basic level in their collective capacity for socialisation. How many teenagers do you know who even communicate with any regularity to another voice at the end of the line? Everything is via a screen. Then along came the pandemic at a vital period during their development, whether it was in school, third level education, or the early stages of a working life. The fall-out from that is only now being fully recognised and questioned. Entering the workforce after that kind of arrest in development can be no easy thing. Having available the choice of working from home is a no brainer for many, just one more reason why it's not necessary to leave the home and interact in person. Remote working is, on the whole, a hugely positive advance. But recognising the downside, particularly for newish entrants to the workforce, is necessary. Read More Jennifer Horgan: Luxury school trips deepen inequality and strain struggling families
