A day when Ryan Tubridy dominates the national conversation

The extent to which Ryan Tubridy dominated national discourse yesterday is reflected in the number of images of the broadcaster used in the print edition of newspapers today.

Across this paper alone, in print and online, I counted 40 in all and this tot did not include videos of the performance by Tubridy and his agent Noel Kelly during six hours before two separate Oireachtas Committees yesterday to discuss payments to the presenter by RTÉ.

Of the many articles on their Oireachtas Committee appearances, Hugh Dooley’s report of Oireachtas TV being shown on big screens on pubs across Dublin – trumping the Tour de France or Wimbledon – captures the rapt attention to this uniquely Irish story.

As for the interest in our live online coverage yesterday, it was, to use a famous phrase of our Political Editor, “gangbusters”.

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Speaking of which, Pat Leahy’s news report assesses the impact of the evidence given by Tubridy and Kelly in two sessions of the Public Accounts Committee and then the Media Committee in Leinister House. Both sought to shift the blame back for the debacle to RTÉ management.

Tubridy’s evidence was sometimes raw, sometimes forceful. Leahy quotes two key takeaways. The first was his admission that: “I could be out of a job by Friday”.

The second was his detailing of the impact the controversy has had on him: “My name has been desperately sullied,” Mr Tubridy said. “I think my reputation has been sullied. I am deeply upset. I am hurt.”

Political reaction to their evidence has been muted, reports Leahy. One Minister noted Tubridy had done a good job appealing to the public but also noted the evidence was less than convincing.

There is analysis and parsing aplenty amidst the coverage. In his opening statement Tubridy alleged there were seven “untruths” which have been abroad among the public for the past three weeks. We assess this claim and at least two do not fully stand up to scrutiny.

TDs and Senators were unconvinced that the side-deal with Renault was a completely separate issue to Tubridy’s salary negotiations and disagreed strongly with the broadcaster’s claim he had taken a 20 per cent pay cut, once the €75,000 annual payment for that agreement is removed from the calculation.

Jennifer Bray and this reporter spent much of the day providing live coverage of from the hearings and here is our report on the proceedings.

Jack Horgan-Jones identifies ten new things we learned from yesterday’s evidence and observes the gap between Ryan Tubridy and his employer is now a chasm.

Colm Keena reports on how RTÉ staff responded to the events of yesterday. “The jury is still out” summed up the mixed reaction to a broadcaster who is very popular among colleagues but whose huge salary remains a “festering sore” among staff.

To follow all of today’s events, including RTÉ facing Oireachtas media committee questions about the future of GAAGo, you can follow our rolling live story.

Best reads and listens

We are recommending three articles to read this morning if you want to understand what it is all about.

The first is Miriam Lord’s column, which perfectly captures the hype and drama of the day. As always Miriam has a nose for the best quotes. Like this from Tubridy: “When a feather leaves a pillow, it’s very hard to get that back, and with my good name the feather has left the pillow.”

Or the observation of a backbencher watching proceedings: “In the spirit of Wimbledon, one engrossed backbencher summed up the early state of play before the official 11am start. Ryan Tubridy has faced Kevin Bakhurst and RTÉ management’s serve and lobbed a large ball of sh**e straight back across the net at them.”

There is brilliant analysis too by Fintan O’Toole, who notes the Ted Crilly echoes apparent in some of the evidence, especially Tubridy’s admission that he has yet to do six shows for Renault in return for the additional €150,000 he received in fees over two years.

“And in the end, Tubridy resorted to the Father Ted defence: the money was only resting in his account. He always planned to give it back if he did not do all the Renault shows.

“These are very weak foundations of truth on which to rebuild anything, let alone what Kelly claimed to be his client’s position as ‘the most trusted man in Ireland’.”

The excellent In the News podcast with Bernice Harrison has Jack Horgan-Jones guiding listeners across the events and main takeaways of the day.

Oireachtas agenda

Dail

10am: Private Members’ Business (Labour Party): Motion re Investment in Football

12pm: Leaders’ Questions

1.10pm: Taoiseach’s Questions

1.55pm: Statements post European Council meeting of 29th-30th June.

5pm: Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022

Also An Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Bill 2022

8.30pm: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023.

10pm: Deferred Divisions with two votes.

– Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland’s participation in four European Defence Agency Projects (Amendment)

– Motion re Housing and Homelessness (Amendment)

10.30pm: Dáil adjourns

Seanad

10.30am: Commencement Matters.

12.45pm: Private Members’ Business: Motion regarding Carers Allowances

(Labour Party Senators)

3pm: Non-Fatal Offences against the Person (Amendment) (Spiking) Bill 2023, a private bill by Senator Regina Doherty.

4.30pm: Statements on the situation in Israel and occupied Palestinian Territory

(Department of Foreign Affairs)

5.30pm: Seanad adjourns

Committees

09.30pm: Enterprise.

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment’s Statement of Strategy for 2023-2025, with the secretary general.

09.30pm: Health

An update in relation to the progress being made in the development of the new national children’s hospital and expenditure issues and trends in relation to the development.

10am: European Union affairs

Discussion on the future of the EU-UK Relationship with Paul Johnston, UK Ambassador to Ireland

1.30pm: Transport

Discussion on decarbonising the hard-to-abate sectors (shipping and aviation): how to boost the uptake of sustainable fuels and maintain affordability and competitiveness. With Jack Chambers, Minister of State at the Department of Transport and at the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications

1.30pm: Tourism, Culture, Arts, sports and Media

The future of sports broadcasting in Ireland. Among other things it will look at GAAGO. With representatives from Sport Ireland, Federation of Irish Sport, Gaelic Athletic Association, Football Association of Ireland and Irish Rugby Football Union

The future of sports broadcasting in Ireland (Session 2) with representatives from Raidió Teilifís Éireann, TG4, Virgin Media Ireland, Sky Ireland, and Independent Broadcasters of Ireland

3pm: Finances: A discussion on APP fraud with Representatives from Central Bank of Ireland

5.30pm: Budgetary Oversight: Discussion on Summer Economic Statement 2023 with Michael McGrath, Minister for Finance and Paschal Donohoe, Minister for Public Expenditure.