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Further RTÉ Payment Revelations To Come Under Microscope At Oireachtas Hearing Today

Wednesday, 28 June 2023 06:47

The national broadcaster will be grilled by the Media Committee this afternoon.

Representatives of RTÉ will appear before the Oireachtas Media Committee this afternoon following a damaging week for the broadcaster. 

TDs and Senators have serious questions about secret payments made to presenter Ryan Tubridy.

Yesterday evening RTÉ released a statement laying much of the blame for the controversy at the door of former Director General Dee Forbes.

It said she was to the fore of the negotiations of Ryan Tubridy's contract for 2020 to 2025 and the creation of a tri-partide agreement to pay more him through a commercial sponsor.

It said she was the only member of the executive board with all the details to know Mr Tubridy's publicly stated salary was incorrect. 

Ms Forbes didn't have the chance to contest that statement and won't appear before the Oireachtas Media Committee this afternoon, with her solicitors writing to the Committee citing ill health. 

Many questions still remain for the broadcaster - including the details of extra payments made to Ryan Tubridy prior to 2020 which are still being examined by Grant Thornton. 

Politicians will likely also ask why the payments, made through a UK barter account, were listed as consultancy services and anonymized. 

Questions likely too about why RTÉ paid for the commercial events at which Mr Tubridy was due to appear at a cost of more than 30 grand. 

The committee meets at half one. 

The head of the National Union of Journalists, Ferbane's Seamus Dooley says the statement issued by RTE while detailed, further questions he says need to be answered at the Oireachtas Committee:

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