The Managing-Director of RTE Television, Glen Killane, has defended the station payout and apology to the Iona Institute. It has emerged that RTE paid €85,000 after legal proceedings arising from an interview broadcast on 'The Saturday Night Show'.

RTE has confirmed the payments involved were €40,000 to a journalist and €45,000 to members of the Institute.

The Oireachtas Communications Committee is writing to RTE asking it to explain its approach to dealing with legal complaints.

It is understood that the committee will consider a response by RTE before deciding whether to seek a full hearing with senior RTE managers.

Senior executives, including the Director-General Noel Curran, are due before the Committee for a pre-scheduled meeting in the coming weeks.

The settlement and an apology that was also issued has sparked hundreds of complaints.

Senior executives, including the Director-General Noel Curran, are due before the Committee for a pre-scheduled meeting in the coming weeks.

'Fallen foul of Irish defamation laws'

In a letter to RTE staff, Mr. Killane defended the payout saying legal advice was sought and all avenues were explored, including an offer to make a donation to a neutral charity.

He said the broadcaster explored every option available to it, including right of reply.

However, based on the facts of what was broadcast, and having regard for broadcasting compliance issues, the seriousness of the legal complaints, and the decision by the complainants not to accept RTE's proposed remedies, we decided that a settlement was the most prudent course of action" he added.

He said that the broadcaster had not engaged in censorship, but had fallen foul of Irish defamation laws.

Meanwhile the Communications Minister earlier hit out at the notion that people involved in public debate should 'reach for the defamation laws' to vindicate their points of view.

Pat Rabbitte told the political panel on Newstalk Breakfast earlier that RTE needs to be able to discuss these issues.