Sinn Féin TD and chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Brian Stanley, has stated the Grant Thornton report published today further underlines the severe levels of concealment that senior management in RTÉ went to in order to mislead the public and the Oireachtas regarding Ryan Tubridy’s salary.

Teachta Stanley said:

“The Grant Thornton report is quite clear. Those involved in the decision to under-declare Ryan Tubridy’s salary between 2017 to 2019 engaged in a deliberate process to deceive and mislead.

“Mr Tubridy did not receive the previously reported figures of €491,667 in 2017 and €495,000 in 2018 and 2019. Tubridy received the full salary of €511,667 in 2017 and €545,000 in 2018 and 2019.

“When RTÉ chose to understate Mr Tubridy’s earnings in Jan 2021, Mr Tubridy and his agent Noel Kelly had the opportunity to publicly correct the record – they failed to do so. They chose to be complicit in misleading the public and the Oireachtas.

“Separate to the understatement of Mr Tubridy’s earnings by €120,000, there is also the so-called ‘loyalty payment’ of €120,000 that Mr Tubridy chose to waive his right to. This was pounced upon by the previous CFO Breda O’Keefe as an opportunity to understate the published figures.

“As the Grant Thornton auditor concludes, ‘in my opinion, the logic of the adjustments was not sound’ accountancy practice. This should never have happened.

“Where was the Director General Dee Forbes during this? What was the role of Director of Content Jim Jennings during this negotiation? Why did Deloitte not put a halt to this?

“As Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, I believe the Public Accounts Committee needs a further hearing attended by Dee Forbes, Breda O’Keefe, Richard Collins, Jim Jennings and the auditor from Deloitte that was assigned to RTÉ during this period.”