RTÉ seeking clarification from Ryan Tubridy over statement on income report

RTÉ is seeking clarification from Ryan Tubridy after a statement issued by the presenter led to annoyance among management at the broadcaster.

Mr Tubridy released a short statement on Wednesday afternoon, following the publication of a report by Grant Thornton into public statements by RTÉ that under-declared his income by €120,000.

In his statement, Mr Tubridy said that “it is also clear that my actual income from RTÉ in 2020 and 2021 matches what was originally published as my earnings for those years and RTÉ has not yet published its top 10 earner details for 2022″.

But on Wednesday evening, the broadcaster told The Irish Times that it was now seeking further clarification from Mr Tubridy regarding this line in his statement.

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RTÉ restated the figures paid to Mr Tubridy in each of those years after it emerged that it had paid him €150,000 in 2022, and backstopped a payment of €75,000 in 2021 made by Renault, under a secret tripartite agreement between the broadcaster, the presenter and the carmaker.

It is understood Mr Tubridy’s assertion rests on the fact that he was not paid the €150,000 until 2022, and that the payments came via a barter company called Astus, or in the case of the €75,000 paid in 2021, from Renault. The car manufacturer was later issued a credit note for this payment by RTÉ, making it cost neutral for the company which was then the Late Late Show sponsor.

“Regarding Ryan Tubridy’s comments in his statement today, RTÉ is currently seeking clarification as to their meaning,” RTÉ said.

It is understood that Mr Tubridy’s camp believe a table in a Grant Thornton report published on Wednesday supports their contention.

A comment published by Grant Thornton next to the table outlines how the investigator performed a reconciliation between RTÉ's payments software and originally published earnings and that “no issues were identified”.

Asked if the line in Mr Tubridy’s statement was a correct reflection of the facts, an RTÉ spokesman referred back to restated earnings for 2020 and 2021 which the broadcaster released in June, showing his income higher than stated.

The emergence of a spat between the two camps comes as speculation grows that a conclusion to talks between RTÉ and Mr Tubridy over his potential return to the station is nearing.

Kevin Bakhurst, the new RTÉ director general, told The Irish Times last week that there was an urgency to the situation and that he expected them to be concluded in the next week or two.