RTÉ’s interim Deputy Director General Adrian Lynch has said the broadcaster takes full responsibility for the misstatement of Ryan Tubridy’s fees.
The RTÉ Board – including new Director General Kevin Bakhurst, appeared before the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee on Thursday.
In his opening statement, Mr Lynch addressed that the ongoing payments scandal is the “single biggest crisis in the history of RTÉ”.
“RTÉ takes full responsibility for these misstatements and the mistakes that led to them..,” Mr Lynch stated.
RTÉ was plunged into chaos when it was revealed that Ryan’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.
Over the weekend, RTÉ’s Director of Strategy Rory Coveney resigned from his role with immediate effect having appeared a number of times before multiple Oireachtas Committees.
On Monday, RTÉ’s new Director General Kevin Bakhurst confirmed the disbandment of the Executive Board when he took over office from Ms Forbes.
Later that day, Commercial Director Geraldine O’Leary later announced her early retirement.
