Decision on Ryan Tubridy’s future with RTÉ unlikely until later in August

Negotiations between Ryan Tubridy and RTÉ's director general Kevin Bakhurst on his future with the broadcaster are not likely to conclude until later this month at the earliest.

Mr Tubridy and Mr Bakhurst held a meeting in late July but have not been in direct contact since then. It is understood that both have taken some holidays since then.

Contacted yesterday, a spokeswoman for RTÉ said both men had met for a one-to-one meeting two weeks ago.

“They had a good, open and constructive conversation and will meet again in a few weeks,” she said.

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“We have nothing further to add.”

In mid-July, Mr Bakhurst told The Irish Times he would contact RTÉ's top-earning broadcaster to arrange several long conversations with him about his future with the station, but was adamant in saying he would not personally deal with Mr Tubridy’s agent, Noel Kelly.

That process has now started and it is expected there will be at least one further meeting between the two men to see if an accommodation can be reached on Mr Tubridy remaining with the organisation with which he has spent his entire career.

The Department of Media confirmed this week that TV licence fees have fallen following the controversy over the under-declaration of Mr Tubridy’s overall payments from RTÉ over several years.

Sales were down by €2.7 million, or a drop of 3,490 licences for the month, compared with July 2022. It amounted to a loss of revenue of €2,767,520 year-on-year.

The fact-finding review by Grant Thornton into the circumstances that led to the public misstatement of payments to Mr Tubridy between 2017 and 2019 is still ongoing, according to a spokeswoman for the RTÉ Board. The review will also examine the so-called “barter account”, through which some of the “Renault deal” payments were channelled.

“For the purposes of fair procedures, we understand relevant excerpts of a draft report will be shared with individuals who have been quoted, or referred to by other individuals, before a report is completed,” she said.

She said that neither the RTÉ Board nor its audit and risk committee had received a copy of a draft report, or any extracts of a draft report, nor had it been briefed on any of its findings.

Grant Thornton will also conduct a separate review of Toy Show the Musical, which lost €2.2 million, but will not begin work on it until it has completed its work on the under-declaration of payments to Mr Tubridy.

[ Toy Show the Musical: Behind the curtain of RTÉ ‘flop’ that left children in tears over cancelled shows ]

In relation to the publication of its annual report for 2022 – which is expected to show a deficit – an RTÉ spokeswoman said it submitted the report and the group financial statements to the Department of Media at the end of June and the timing of the publication would be decided by the Cabinet.

A spokesman for the department said the report was with Minister for Media Catherine Martin but has yet to be presented to the Cabinet for approval.

Mr Bakhurst has also announced an external review of RTÉ's voluntary exit schemes in 2017 and 2021 but it has yet to commence.

“RTÉ is actively engaging with outside firms who would have the capability to do this work, and details of the review will be announced as soon as possible,” said the spokeswoman.