The senior RTÉ figures who could feature in Tubridy payments probe 

Dee Forbes is probably the best known (now former) member of RTÉ’s executive to come under the microscope regarding the inflation of Mr Tubridy’s salary over its official value for five years. Picture: Colin Keegan/ Collins

Amid the furore surrounding the revelation that Ryan Tubridy’s RTÉ income had been publicly understated for several years, confusion still remains as to who was responsible for that arrangement, one which has sparked a scandal that has rocked the public broadcaster to its foundations.

A number of senior RTÉ staff, most of them not household names and used to operating in the background, are set to come under a great deal of scrutiny in the coming weeks:

Dee Forbes

Ms Forbes is probably the best known (now former) member of RTÉ’s executive to come under the microscope regarding the inflation of Mr Tubridy’s salary over its official value for five years. Director general since 2016, a period which saw her repeatedly argue for financial aid for the embattled broadcaster, Ms Forbes nevertheless has argued she knew nothing about the payments initially made to Mr Tubridy between 2017 and 2019. 

Her RTÉ tenure had been due to end next month. That has been pre-empted by her suspension from RTÉ last week, and her resignation with immediate effect on Monday. Of most significance in terms of the resignation is whether or not it will allow Ms Forbes to skip the two Oireachtas committee hearings she has been summoned to this week.

Geraldine O’Leary

Ms O’Leary, a 25-year RTÉ veteran and head of the organisation’s commercial division, has within the past month opted to retire from that role. As news of the Tubridy payments first broke last Thursday she informed staff she had been involved with the more recent deal — which saw Tubridy enter into a commercial arrangement with Renault underwritten by RTÉ itself — but that she had acted under instruction. Who supplied that instruction is not yet known. Ms O’Leary has said she will co-operate with the coming investigations into the scandal.

Richard Collins

Mr Collins has been the chief financial officer at RTÉ since January 2020, succeeding Breda O’Keeffe, after spending 13 years working in the retail sector, including stints as finance director of both Dunnes Stores and Superquinn. His attendance at the Oireachtas committee hearings this week would seem certain.

Eimear Cusack

RTÉ’s director of human resources since 2017, Ms Cusack has worked in the field of employee management for 25 years. RTÉ’s executive bio for its HR chief states she has “a broad range of experience at senior levels across a range of organisations and, having led many transformation projects, brings significant experience in the area of human resources”.

Rory Coveney

The younger brother of current Enterprise Minister Simon, Rory Coveney has been with RTÉ since 2007 and currently serves as the executive’s director of strategy, having held a variety of roles at the broadcaster over his 16 years of service.

In addition, two of RTÉ’s serving board members — Dr PJ Matthews and Anne O’Leary, both in their second terms as members — have been in place since before the Tubridy payments began in 2017.