RTÉ’s Director General Dee Forbes has broken her silence after her suspension.
In a statement, she said: “In response to the statements issued yesterday and today by the RTÉ Board I would like to make the following points.”
“I have been fully engaged with the Board since this matter arose in the course of the audit of the accounts.”
Dee’s statement continued: “When asked in April 2023, I participated in the review conducted by Grant Thornton to determine the full circumstances and facts surrounding two specific payments to fulfil a contractual obligation for the years 2021 and 2022.”
“Yesterday was an extremely difficult day for all of us who care so deeply about the organisation and the impact of these issues is a matter of profound regret.”
“I am proud of my contribution to RTÉ over the past seven years. Throughout my tenure as director general, I have always prioritised what I believe are the best interests of the organisation, in order to best serve the public.”
“This includes pursuing a difficult cost-cutting agenda as part of implementing a wider strategic agenda, all while navigating the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic. I will be making no further public comment at this time.”
Dee’s term as Director General was due to end on July 11, before she’s replaced by Kevin Bakhurst.
However, the broadcaster has now revealed she’s been suspended from her employment at RTÉ.
In a statement, the Board said: “There are processes on-going and RTÉ must be mindful of its legal responsibilities and the rights of individuals.”
“RTÉ will not be commenting further on this issue at this time.”
The news came following revelations Ryan Tubridy’s earnings were publicly understated since 2017, which has sent shockwaves across the industry.
On Thursday, the RTÉ Board issued an apology, after identifying and correcting an error in the public record of the presenter’s salary.
The issue was identified during a routine audit of RTÉ’s 2022 accounts, prompting an independent review of the matter – which found that his actual earnings were understated by €345,000 over the last six years.
In a statement on Thursday, the former Late Late Show host said he was “surprised” by revelations his salary was understated.
He said: “Like many people, I’m surprised by the announcements made in RTÉ’s statement today regarding the errors in the reporting of its accounts.”
“It is unfortunate that these errors are in relation to how RTÉ have reported payments made to me but I just want to be clear: this is a matter for RTÉ and I have no involvement in RTÉ’s internal accounting treatment or RTÉ’s public declarations in connection with such payments.
“Obviously, I’m disappointed to be at the centre of this story but unfortunately, I can’t shed any light on why RTÉ treated these payments in the way that they did nor can I answer for their mistakes in this regard.”
Amid the controversy, Ryan didn’t appear on his RTE Radio 1 show this morning, and was replaced by comedian Oliver Callan. It’s not yet known when Ryan will return to the show.
Ryan’s agent NK Management also said in a statement: “We were made aware today of RTÉ’s statement concerning its accounting treatment and public declarations of payments made to Ryan Tubridy.”
“These are matters for which RTÉ has sole responsibility and accountability. There is no issue whatsoever in relation to the payments being properly and lawfully due and there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing on the part of Ryan Tubridy or NK Management.
“These issues are solely concerned with RTÉ’s internal accounting treatment and public declarations in respect of such lawful payments.”
RTÉ bosses are now facing calls to come before two Oireachtas committees to address the controversy surrounding his remuneration, which has been described as a “serious breach of trust with the public”.
Members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) at RTÉ are set to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the issue on Friday.
It’s understood there is huge anger among staff working in RTÉ at the pay revelations.
A source told the Irish Independent: “People working in RTÉ just can’t fathom how this went undetected for so long. In some instances, payments of over half a million euros were made to Ryan Tubridy for one year’s work.”
“At the same time, RTÉ management are going with their begging bowl to the Government calling for a reform of the licence fee structure and extra financial supports.”
“It brings the whole organisation into disrepute and people are understandably angry.”
