Ryan Tubridy and his agent Noel Kelly have offered to “fully cooperate” with the Oireachtas Media Committee’s investigations into the ongoing payments scandal.
Just weeks ago, RTÉ was plunged into chaos when it was revealed that their highest-paid presenter’s earnings were publicly understated by €345,000 over the last six years.
The issue was identified during a routine audit of RTÉ’s 2022 accounts, prompting an independent review of the matter.
The RTÉ Board issued an apology over the error, and later Ryan also apologised for not questioning RTÉ over his published earnings.
The scandal resulted in the suspension of RTÉ’s Director General Dee Forbes, who later resigned from her role.
Last Wednesday, the RTÉ Board and executives arrived at Leinster House to provide evidence to the joint committee on tourism, culture, arts, sport and media amid the ongoing scandal.
The following day, they arrived at Leinster House once again, this time to face questioning from the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee.
During the initial hearing, it emerged that RTÉ underwrote a commercial sponsorship of Ryan by Renault.
RTÉ labelled invoices of €75,000 payments as “consultancy fees” and the now-infamous barter account was used to pay them.
Notably absent from Leinster House on both occasions were Ryan, his agent Noel Kelly and former Director General Dee Forbes.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar called on the three parties to appear before an Oireachtas Committee.
Virgin Media’s Gavan Reilly later reported that Ryan and Noel will be invited before the Oireachtas Media Committee.
According to RTÉ News, Ryan and Noel offered to help the Oireachtas Media Committee next week with their inquiries into the payments scandal.
It’s unclear whether this will be a private or public session of the committee.
The public service broadcaster reported that a letter from Hayes Solicitors, on behalf of its clients Ryan and Noel, sent to the chair of the media committee Niamh Smyth, stated: “Mr Tubridy and Mr Kelly wish to fully cooperate and assist with your Committee’s investigations”.
