‘Incredibly serious questions of competence and trust in RTÉ’

Reacting to yesterday’s revelations from RTÉ regarding Ryan Tubridy’s pay, Labour media spokesperson, Senator Marie Sherlock expressed alarm.

“The details released today beggar belief,” she said yesterday evening following the statement from RTE which said that Tubridy’s earnings for the years 2017 to 2022 were understated by over €300,000.

“These are not small figures.

“It is essentially the misuse of funds equivalent to a very well paid full time job.

“The apparent mis-accounting of certain payments for service appear to have taken place at a time when RTÉ management were seeking significant pay cuts to salaries and allowances from RTÉ employees.

“These are very serious breaches of trust with the employees of the national broadcaster.

“Furthermore, there are many questions about how this issue has only to light now.

“Each year RTÉ publish the pay of its highest paid presenters and indeed has made a virtue of pay reductions of its highest paid. Why the discrepancies were not apparent to RTÉ management then reflect shockingly poor internal systems.

“The Minister was informed of an accounting issue in March.

“We need to see every scrap of documentation relating to this released this weekend.

“No delays, no equivocations.”