Government receives report into Ryan Tubridy pay

By Cillian Sherlock and Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA

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

Ms Martin is examining the report having spoken with the chair of RTÉ’s board Siún Ní Raghallaigh.

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

The public service broadcaster has been the subject of controversy since announcing it had under-declared Mr Tubridy’s earnings by €345,000 from the years 2017 to 2022.

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

The most controversial aspect of the deal was RTÉ’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 credit note to Renault in exchange for the motoring company paying Mr Tubridy, and in years two and three, when Renault were no longer involved, by paying Mr Tubridy from its own funds using a UK-based commercial barter account.

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

During an appearance before an Oireachtas committee, Mr Tubridy said a €120,000 payment due at the end of his 2015-2019 contract had been waived by him.

He said RTÉ 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 Mr Tubridy’s pay to RTÉ’s internal financial, accounting and governance practices and its expenditure on corporate hospitality for advertising clients.

Ms Martin has launched external reviews into RTÉ and appointed forensic accountant Mazars to look into RTÉ’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 RTÉ to validate the fees paid to RTÉ’s top 10 earners, and to examine the €120,000 understatement of Mr Tubridy’s fees.