RTÉ publishes report of underdeclared payments to Ryan Tubridy

Michael Bolton

The chairman of the RTÉ board has said that a second report into RTÉ’s understatement of fees to Ryan Tubridy confirms a culture of “siloed management culture”, “poor internal communication and weak processes”.

The second part of the Grant Thronton report was released, as it showed payments to Ryan Tubridy were under declared by €120,000 from 2017-2019.

The Report makes clear that neither Mr. Tubridy nor NK Management had any involvement in the adjustments for the period 2017 –2019.

The Report confirms that while the earnings were publicly understated, there was no impact on RTÉ’s financial statements as a result of these adjustments.

The Chair of RTÉ, Siún Ní Raghallaigh, stated: “Regrettably this Report confirms our view of the siloed management culture that has prevailed in RTÉ and supports the decision by the Board to initiate an ongoing programme of corrective action.

"The Report paints a picture of poor internal communication and weak processes.The Report identifies specific dates whereby errors could have been corrected but were not and key documents that could have been effectively interrogated but were not.

"It is also clear from the Report that the then Executive did not properly engage with the Board on these matters, nor was relevant information provided to the Board by the Executive or by the auditors.

"We will be taking on board the issues raised by the Report and will be engaging with RTÉ’s auditors, Deloitte, to discuss the contents of same.

Commenting on the report, Minster for media Catherine Martin said: "I welcome the publication by RTÉ of the report by Grant Thornton into the understatement by RTÉ of the fees paid to presenter Ryan Tubridy for the years 2017 to 2019.

"The report highlights further lapses in governance and failure of proper internal controls and processes within RTÉ, which are deeply concerning.

"I have spoken to the Chair and stressed the need for RTÉ to act with urgency to address these lapses and ensure that robust processes are put in place without delay.

"This is essential to restore the trust and confidence which is expected of a public service broadcaster. It is also of key importance that RTÉ co-operates fully with the Oireachtas Committees which have been examining these matters."