RTÉ confirms contract negotiations with Ryan Tubridy have been paused

Kenneth Fox

RTÉ has paused contract negotiations with Ryan Tubridy in the wake of the scandal surrounding unpublished payments made to him by the organisation.

RTÉ staff will face two Oireachtas Committees on Wednesday and Thursday over a tally of €345,000 paid to the former Late Late Show host across the space of five years.

He had stepped down from presenting RTÉ's flagship talk show in May of this year but had still been hosting his morning radio show for RTÉ up until last Thursday, when the news of the payments first broke.

As the Irish Examiner reports, an RTÉ statement on Wednesday morning confirmed that contract talks with Mr Tubridy had been paused. His current contract, negotiated in 2020, was set to expire in 2025.

RTÉ said: "Ryan Tubridy stood down from The Late Late Show in May.

"RTÉ has written to his agent that the contract (including all arrangements therein) has come to an end. Negotiations had commenced regarding his radio responsibilities. T

"Those negotiations have been paused as with all negotiations as per Board statement."

Addressing the controversial payments in a statement on Tuesday, RTÉ said they would have been given final approval by former director general Dee Forbes.

RTÉ interim deputy director general Adrian Lynch said that a series of €75,000 payments, to be made by commercial partner Renault but underwritten by RTÉ, were negotiated by “the director general and the then chief financial officer (Breda O’Keeffe) supported by the RTÉ solicitor” and were then approved by Ms Forbes.