Salaries Of Top 100 Earners At RTÉ To Be Released As Soon As Practical - Chair

RTÉ's Chief Financial Officer says he was told €150,000 was paid to Ryan Tubridy's agent for advice on how it was structured and presented itself during the pandemic.

We know - thanks to the Grant Thornton report that these fees were infact due to Ryan Tubridy as part of the commercial agreement with Renault - the second year of that was underwritten by the broadcaster.

Richard Collins admitted 'in hindsight' he should have asked more questions about the payments after discussions with then Director General Dee Forbes.

The Public Accounts Committee is hearing from officials at the broadcaster one week on from when it revealed Ryan Tubridy's salary had been underdeclared between 2017 and 2022.

The chair of the RTÉ board has committed to publishing the salaries of the top 100 earners at the broadcaster as soon as is practically possible.

Ryan Tubridy is seen in August 2017 at RTÉ studios in Dublin. Picture by: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

In her opening statement to TDs and Senators, Chair of the RTÉ board Siún Ní Raghallaigh said the labeling of payments to Ryan Tubridy in filings was "an act designed to deceive".

She said she was appalled as to "how payments were recorded and presented in the RTÉ accounts."

Officials from RTÉ before the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee. Image: Oireachtas TV

The interim Deputy Director General of RTÉ also said the incoming Director General Kevin Bakhurst will "reconstitute" the day-to-day management team.

While, the chair of the board Siún Ní Raghallaigh also said she had issue with the use of the word 'talent'.

She said, "words matter" and claimed the use of it adds to a "them and us culture at RTÉ".

She continued to paid tribute to the 1,800 staff at RTÉ and said 'talent' "implies some have greater worth than others."

Her sentiment on the word 'talent' has been supported by the chair of the NUJ Dublin Broadcasting Branch Emma O'Kelly, who is also the Education Correspondent for RTÉ News.

On Twitter, Emma O'Kelly said the 'talent' her colleagues are thinking about is the "young journalists who have left the organisation in recent months, seeing no future within RTÉ."

Siún Ní R has also rightly said the use of the term ‘talent’ (for some on-air presenters) should be binned. 👏To us in the Newsroom, the ‘talent’ we’re concerned about includes the young journalists who have left the organisation in recent months, seeing no future within RTÉ.

— emma o kelly (@emma_okelly) June 29, 2023

Earlier today, presenter Patrick Kielty revealed he is to be paid €250,000 a season for hosting the Late Late Show.

In a statement, he also said he would cover the cost of his own flights from his home in the UK for the shows and pay for his own accommodation too while in Ireland.

RTÉ Director-General Dee Forbes leaving an event at the National Concert Hall in Dublin January 2020. Picture by: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo

While, yesterday members of the RTÉ board and Executive were before members of the Oireachtas Media Committee.

At that meeting, Siún Ní Raghallaigh, the chair of the board, said she had asked for former Director General Dee Forbes' resignation almost a week before the scandal had been revealed by RTÉ.

She resigned from the role on Monday after she was suspended the previous week.

More to follow...