RTE pay crisis: Who did what - and when - according to the broadcaster’s report

2019

From late October to early December RTÉ said it engaged in discussions, with Ryan Tubridy’s agent Noel Kelly and his company NK Management Agent and, internally within RTÉ, to try to agree the termination of Mr Tubridy’s existing contract, which ran from Sept 2015 until Aug 2020. The broadcaster sought to agree a new contract on reduced terms in line with public commitments to reduce “top talent” fees.

December 19th: Following a meeting between RTÉ's director general Dee Forbes and Mr Tubridy’s agent Mr Kelly, the then RTÉ chief financial officer Breda O’Keeffe, who left RTÉ at the end of March 2020, set out a financial proposal to the agent, which outlined an offset of the exit payment due in his previous contract, a 15 per cent cut in fees from RTÉ, and referenced facilitating a possible additional commercial agreement (what later became the “tri-partite agreement’) to the value of €75,000 per contract year.

The treatment of the exit payment is the subject of the review by external accountants Grant Thornton of the earlier 2017-2019 period when €120,000 of payments to Mr Tubridy were not disclosed out of the total of €345,000 in hidden payments. The review of that period due to be published separately, RTÉ says.

2020

January to March: Further discussions are held on terms and conditions of a new offer to Mr Tubridy

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March 10th: A draft contract from RTÉ is sent to the agent for radio and television services, a letter guaranteeing those radio and television service fees and what RTÉ is calling a “side” letter terminating previous contractual arrangements and obligations.

March 20th: The agent responds to draft letters and encloses a draft side letter stating RTÉ will guarantee and underwrite the commercial agreement, which was part of ongoing discussions at that time, RTÉ says.

March 20th-July 21st: RTÉ says it held “numerous” internal and external meetings, discussions and exchanged correspondence to finalise terms of the contract, the wording of side letters and the arrangements with the commercial sponsor, Renault Ireland.

May 7th: A video meeting takes place with Mr Kelly, Ms Forbes and an RTÉ solicitor providing verbal guarantee that RTÉ would underwrite the commercial agreement.

July 21st-24th: Contract for services covering the period from April 1st, 2020 to March 31st, 2025, a side letter from RTÉ guaranteeing contract fees and a side letter terminating both parties’ obligations under previous contract is executed.

July 24th-27th: The outline of a commercial agreement with a commercial partner Is confirmed and communicated to Mr Kelly. The agent issues an invoice to commercial partner for €75,000 for “bespoke partnership between [commercial partner] and Ryan Tubridy to include personal appearances. Programme of activity to be agreed between [commercial partner], RTÉ and NK Management.”

July 31st: Credit note issued by RTÉ to Renault, which in effect reduced the cost of the commercial partner’s overall sponsorship by €75,000. This ensured, as had been agreed with the commercial partner, that the arrangement was cost neutral to them.

July 27th – October 22nd: Various correspondence seeking clarification of details of agreement with commercial partner. The execution of the ‘tripartite agreement’ – personal appearances by Mr Tubridy – was affected by Covid and those agreed appearances did not happen until between March and May 2022.

2021

January 20th: RTÉ releases the earnings of the top 10 highest paid on-air presenters for 2017, 2018 and 2019.

March 26th: Mr Tubridy’s agent contacts RTÉ looking to meet to discuss contract.

March 29th-April 22nd: There are various internal communications within RTÉ regarding the “best way to proceed” with third party arrangement and ‘tripartite agreement’ furnished by agent.

December 31st: The ‘tripartite agreement’ is concluded. RTÉ says no additional or follow-on agreement was entered into by the agent, the commercial partner and RTÉ.

2022

January 13th – March 29th 2022: RTÉ says there were communications between agent and RTÉ “chasing payment” on foot of the underwriting of the commercial agreement. RTÉ says – notwithstanding the ceasing of the ‘tripartite agreement’ – RTÉ had a contractual obligation to make two payments of €75,000 to the agent on behalf of Mr Tubridy for 2021 and 2022.

April 25th: Ms Forbes and Mr Kelly hold talks resulting in an email request by the agent for invoicing details.

May 9th: Mr Tubridy’s agent raises an invoice for €75,000 in respect of year two [2021] of the tripartite agreement

May 25th: RTÉ pays the agent, via UK barter account, in respect of year two. This payment was recorded in the barter account at a value of €115,380.

July 6th: The agent raises an invoice for €75,000 in respect of year three (2022) of the ‘tripartite agreement’

July 20th: RTÉ pays the agent, via UK barter account, in respect of year three. This payment was recorded in the barter account at a value of €115,380. In addition, RTÉ paid, via the UK barter account, for the costs of hosting the Renault commercial sponsor events with Mr Tubridy in 2022. The actual cost of the events was €30,586. These payments were recorded in the barter account to the tune of €47,477, a cost to RTÉ.

2023

February 15th: RTÉ releases the earnings of the top 10 list of the highest paid on-air presenters for 2020 and 2021.

March: During what RTÉ says was a “routine” examination of its 2022 accounts, the two transactions in the barter account are queried by auditors, which in turn prompts the audit and risk committee to obtain external legal advice and appoint Grant Thornton to examine the transactions further.

June 22nd: RTÉ publicly reveals that it failed to disclose payments of €345,000 to Mr Tubridy since 2017 over and above his published earnings