Suspended RTÉ boss obliged to answer insists Laois TD who chairs powerful Dáil Committee
Laois Offaly TD insists RTÉ's senior bosses including its suspended Director General Dee Forbes must answer questions from TDs on hidden payments to Ryan Tubridy.
As chair of the Dáil Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Dep Stanley proposes hearing next week with RTÉ and Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
“As Chair of the PAC, I have called for RTÉ and the Department to come before the committee next Thursday for an immediate and full examination of the hidden and undisclosed payments to a senior presenter.
“We will be demanding that the executive board of RTÉ attend the hearing. What has happened under their watch is utterly unacceptable and yet another serious breach of trust between our national broadcaster and the public.
“Dee Forbes also has an obligation to come before the committee. We were told yesterday that Ms Forbes was on annual leave. Today we have been told that she is suspended.
“There is a serious credibility issue here. There is an onus and an obligation on Ms Forbes to attend and I expect her to be there.
“The PAC has been misled by RTÉ representatives, including Ms Forbes. What has occurred is a betrayal of trust and we are demanding a full explanation from those directly involved,” said the TD.
In February 2023, it was confirmed that Ryan Tubridy remained the highest paid presenter in RTÉ. Figures for 2020 and 2021, showed the Late Late Show host earned €466,250 in 2020 and €440,000 in 2021.
In a statement, RTÉ said it had reduced its total fees paid to its highest paid presenters by more than 15% in 2020 and 2021.
It also said that total fees paid to its highest-earning presenters represent less than 1% of its total operating costs.
The now-suspended Director General Forbes said of Tubridy and others: "Our presenters play an important role in RTÉ's provision of vital news, information and entertainment to audiences right across the country and enable us to generate commercial revenue which is essential to fund RTÉ's public services.
"We are aware that the fees of high-profile presenters attract considerable public interest. Over the past 15 years RTÉ has reduced these fees by c. 40%. We continue to keep them under review," she said.
RTE has said that Tubridy’s previously published remunerations for 2020 and 2021 show that he earned €466,250 and €440,000 respectively across those years, which by 2021 (first full year on new contract) appeared to represent an 11% reduction on his 2019 earnings.
It said a review conducted by Grant Thornton concerned a separate agreement under which Mr. Tubridy was guaranteed by RTÉ an additional annual income of €75,000 which was intended to come from a commercial partner.
In making an agreement with the commercial partner, RTÉ said it concluded it on a cost-neutral basis to the commercial partner, and the fee due to Tubridy was guaranteed and underwritten by RTÉ.
Accordingly, RTÉ confirmed that under the terms of this agreement, a payment of €75,000 was received by Tubridy in July 2020 from a commercial partner, in exchange for a number of personal appearances a year.
As part of this agreement, RTÉ revealed that it in turn issued a credit note to the commercial partner thereby reducing the cost to it of its overall sponsorship arrangement with the organisation.
It said the commercial partner did not renew this agreement for a second year, and since the agreement was guaranteed and underwritten by RTÉ, the payments were instead made directly by RTÉ to Tubridy’s agent (on his behalf).
It added that Tubridy received two payments of €75,000 (totalling €150,000), each in 2022 (being a payment for 2021 and a payment for 2022). It was these payments that prompted the review by Grant Thornton.
RTÉ says these payments were recorded in the RTÉ Barter Account in 2022 at a value of €115,380 each.
In addition and following the furnishing of the findings of the Grant Thornton review, RTÉ carried out a review of Tubridy’s previously stated remunerations. Through this review, it was identified that Mr. Tubridy’s remuneration had been understated by RTÉ by a figure of €120,000 over the contract period of 2017-2019. The circumstances that led to this understatement by RTÉ are currently under examination.
The Sinn Féin TD has today formally proposed a hearing with RTÉ and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media next Thursday 29th June at 1.30pm