RTÉ’s former Chief Financial Officer Breda O’Keefe has responded to speculation that Ryan Tubridy refused to take a pay cut.
Just weeks ago, the broadcaster 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.
On Wednesday, the RTÉ Board and executives arrived at Leinster House once again, this time to face questioning from the Oireachtas Media Committee.
During the hearing, it was questioned: “Did Ryan Tubridy refuse to take a pay cut?”
Former CFO Ms O’Keefe denied Ryan refused to take a pay cut during the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, she explained that the presenter and his agent Noel Kelly disagreed with the broadcaster over the proposed level of pay cut.
Earlier today, an RTÉ letter was published, which showed that former Director General Dee Forbes promised that Ryan Tubridy’s pay would not be cut by the broadcaster.
In July 2020, the former Director General wrote to the presenter confirming he wouldn’t see a salary reduction between April 2020 and March 2025.
The letter is addressed to the 50-year-old at the address of his Tuttle Productions Ltd. company.
The letter reads: “The purpose of this correspondence is to record in writing our guarantee and undertaking that the fees set out in this Agreement will be paid by RTÉ without any reductions and RTÉ shall not make any request or enquiry from you in relation to a reduction in the agreed fees during the currency of the Agreement save as to those that might be imposed by changes to legislation.”
Later in the hearing, it was questioned: “Who was aware of the 2020 letter [from Dee Forbes to Ryan Tubridy saying he wouldn’t suffer pay cut]?”
Interim Deputy Director General Adrian Lynch admitted he was aware.
Mr Lynch said: “My understanding was his salary was to be reduced. I didn’t see the side letter… I didn’t know what the wording was…”
Last month, The RTÉ Board issued an apology over the error in Ryan’s reported salary, and later the presenter himself apologised for not questioning the broadcaster over his published earnings.
The scandal resulted in the suspension of RTÉ’s Director General Dee Forbes, who later resigned from her role.
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.
