Letters

Ryan Tubridy observations

The spotlight remains on the RTÉ presenter

Fri Jul 14 2023 - 02:00

Sir, – The new director general of RTÉ, Kevin Bakhurst, says the attitude of staff towards the return of the former Late Late Show host to his radio show will be a “major consideration” in the final decision (“Staff will work with him if he comes back, but it will be a bit awkward,” News, July 12th). What about the attitude of the listeners? – Yours, etc,

MATTIE LENNON,

Blessington,

Co Wicklow.

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Sir, – The presenter Ryan Tubridy, in his evidence this week before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), referred to a “fog of confusion” in relation to his earnings.

Yet it would appear from his contributions to the committee that he, himself, has added to the level of confusion.

Mr Tubridy and his agent, Noel Kelly, have sought to explain the hidden payments at the heart of this controversy as being detached from his RTÉ earnings, paid (as they believed) by an outside commercial entity in return for additional, non-RTÉ work. To a point, this stance is plausible.

However, if we are to accept this construct, it raises an obvious question.

If Mr Tubridy genuinely believed the hidden payments to be separate from the presenter’s contractual RTÉ earnings, why did he deem it necessary to apologise, in his late-June statement, for not challenging what he described as incorrectly disclosed RTÉ earnings?

Surely at that point he could have simply explained that his RTÉ earnings, as reported, were in fact accurate and that the additional payments did not form any part of his remuneration from the broadcaster.

The apology appears to represent an acknowledgement by the presenter that – contrary to his PAC stance – his RTÉ earnings were mis-stated. Or am I simply another victim of the fog? – Yours, etc,

TIM O’ LEARY,

Carrickmines,

Dublin 18.

Sir, – Even though I am a fan of Fintan O’Toole, some of his commentary on the Ryan Tubridy fiasco brings to mind a George Bernard Shaw quote: “Put an Irishman on the spit and you can always get another Irishman to turn him.” – Yours, etc,

JOHN BURNS,

Blackrock,

Dublin.