RTÉ executives and RTÉ board members appeared before the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in connection with the broadcaster’s payment controversy.
Director General Kevin Bakhurst said the broadcaster “should not be brokering or facilitating commercial arrangements with its contractors” as “the level of fees in contracts of this nature are too high”, reports RTE.
In his opening statement, Bakhurst said the failure to disclose the payment represents “one of the most shameful and damaging episodes in the organisation’s history. The public were misled, as were you as public representatives. That is completely unacceptable. I want to assure you that lessons have been learned, and actions are being taken,” reports RTE.
The broadcaster “should have operated with greater transparency, and should have applied much higher standards of honesty and integrity in terms of its public statements”, he told TDs.
Board staff representative Robert Short was also present, while former director general Noel Curran was scheduled to attend via video link.
Former board chairwoman Moa Doherty said she was unfortunately unable to attend.
Former CFO Breda O’Keefe told PAC she was also unavailable, but maintained she had nothing more to add to her earlier statement.
RTÉ’s board chair, Siun Ni Raghalaigue, told the committee that the new CEO “in a few short days steadying the ship of RTÉ by taking swift action on a range of important matters, from leadership reform to the introduction of a register and more”, reports RTE.
RTÉ’s Interim Deputy Director General Adrian Lynch Adrian Lynch says the misrepresentation of fees paid by RTÉ to presenter Ryan Tubridy caused the “single biggest crisis” in the broadcaster’s history.
“In relation to some of the commentary made here on Tuesday last, RTÉ must clarify the proposal to underwrite these payments was central to the contractual negotiations between RTÉ and Mr Tubridy. We believe that the substantive contract would not have been signed without the additional commercial agreements or the underwriting. Moreover, we contend that the payments of €75,000 per year for year two and three of the commercial contract were pursued by NK Management (Mr Kelly’s company) despite it knowing that the Renault contract was no longer in place,” Noel Kelly, Ryan Tubridy’s agent, said, reports RTE..
Labor TD Alan Kelly asked whether Ryan Tubridy’s claim that he had taken a 20% pay cut was correct.
“He took a significant pay cut. That’s undoubtedly true. I wouldn’t want to say yes on 20% because I haven’t got my calculator,” replied RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst, reports RTE.
“When I heard about those payments I found it appalling, disgusting. I’ve no idea why anyone involved ever thought that was appropriate, on any side, and there was more than one side to it,” added Mr Bakhurst, reports RTE.
RTÉ’s acting deputy Director General apologized to Renault over a trade deal involving the carmaker, national broadcaster and presenter Ryan Tubridy.
Mr Tubridy, who received another €150,000 on this basis, previously said he would return it if the events did not continue.
Asked whether RTÉ had asked Mr Tubridy for a refund, Mr Lynch said there was no verbal agreement that the broadcaster would pay his agent.
New Director General Kevin Bakhurst said: “There’s two things here for me: there’s a legal agreement and RTÉ has a liability. Then, I think there’s a moral question about what’s the right thing to do and I think when we do come to have any discussions with Mr Tubridy going forward – I welcomed his offer the other day and we’ll wait and see what he does about it,” reports RTE.
The interim report was presented yesterday to the Audit and Risk Committee of the Board of RTÉ. Its findings are made available to members of the Public Finance Committee.
The report states: “The difference of €1,359 is not significant, particularly relative to the total published remuneration figures of the Top Ten Earners, and has no impact on the rankings of the Top Ten Earners,” reports RTE.
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