Media minister receives report into Tubridy pay

Media Minister Catherine Martin has received the Grant Thornton report into how RTE had declared fees for star presenter Ryan Tubridy between 2017 and 2019.

Ms Martin is examining the report having spoken with the chair of RTE’s board Siun Ni Raghallaigh.

On Monday, the board was given the finalised report into the understatement of star presenter Ryan Tubridy’s published fees by 120,000 euro from 2017 to 2019.

Of that amount, 225,000 euro relates to three 75,000 euro annual payments received by Tubridy for proposed public appearances for Renault, as part of a tripartite agreement involving the sponsor, RTE and the presenter.

The most controversial aspect of the deal was RTE’s decision to underwrite the payments, which effectively resulted in the publicly-funded broadcaster stumping up to cover the costs.

This was done in the first year by issuing a 75,000 euro credit note to Renault in exchange for the motoring company paying Tubridy, and in years two and three, when Renault were no longer involved, by paying Tubridy from its own funds using a UK-based commercial barter account.

The other 120,000 euro of undeclared payments involved in the controversy relate to Tubridy’s salary across the years 2017-19.

He said RTE had suggested that it should be accounted for by retrospectively under-reporting his salary across several years, which he said he had objected to.

The crisis at the broadcaster has widened beyond Tubridy’s pay to RTE’s internal financial, accounting and governance practices and its expenditure on corporate hospitality for advertising clients.

Ms Martin has launched external reviews into RTE and appointed forensic accountant Mazars to look into RTE’s barter account.

Discussions on a new long-term funding arrangement for the broadcaster have also been paused.

Auditors from Grant Thornton were brought in by the board of RTE to validate the fees paid to RTE’s top 10 earners, and to examine the 120,000 euro understatement of Tubridy’s fees.