PAC asks RTÉ for more payment details and witnesses

One of the documents the Dáil Public Accounts Committee is looking for is Dee Forbes’ contract.

The Dáil Public Accounts Committee has sought more information from RTÉ in relation to payments made by the broadcaster and wants to speak to a number of witnesses, including former director general Dee Forbes.

Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Brian Stanley, said on Friday that the committee is seeking further witnesses "when they are available" and outstanding documents promised to the members.

Those documents include:

• A copy of the side letter between Noel Kelly and Dee Forbes from a Teams call on May 7, 2020, that allegedly agreed and underwrote the tripartite agreement.
• Confirmation from RTÉ that it is satisfied that all tax liabilities have been covered regarding the two €75,000 barter payments for services by Ryan Tubridy.
• Breda O’Keefe’s retirement package and the minutes from the Executive board outlining who signed off on it.
• A copy of Dee Forbes’ contract.
• A full audit over the past five years of appearances by the top 20 stars in RTÉ on shows that they were not involved in.

As part of RTÉ's appearances at two Oireachtas committees, the broadcaster gave politicians a letter in which Ms Forbes guarantees Mr Tubridy that RTÉ will underwrite a €75,000-a-year commercial deal for the host.

RTÉ has been embroiled in controversy for weeks after it announced  it had under-reported Ryan Tubridy’s salary and failed to declare hundreds of thousands of euros in additional payments to him. Mr Stanley said that members want a number of witnesses before the committee when they are available.

“These are former Director General Dee Forbes, former Chief Financial Officer Breda O’Keefe, former Commercial Director Geraldine O’Leary and former Director of Content Jim Jennings.

“Three of those individuals have not been before the PAC yet and I believe each of them have invaluable information to provide to the committee.

“The committee is eager to see the Grant Thornton report into the 2017-2019 payments to Ryan Tubridy. 

We have yet to hear any credible answers from RTÉ representatives regarding these payments and when we see that report we may well need to speak again to other witnesses.

“It is my view that, once we have received these documents and the Grant Thornton report, we will need to have a further hearing with RTÉ representatives.”

RTÉ bosses, as well as Mr Tubridy and his agent, Noel Kelly, have appeared before both the PAC and the Media Committee to answer questions over the controversy, but politicians say that they remain unsatisfied with the answers given to them.

On Thursday, RTÉ's new Director General Kevin Bakhurst met with Mr Tubridy to discuss his future at RTÉ. In a statement, RTÉ said the pair "had a good, open, and constructive conversation and will meet again in a few weeks".

Mr Tubridy has been off air from his weekday radio show since the payments scandal broke at RTÉ last month.