PAC rejects RTÉ's conditional offer of a summary of memo on Ryan Tubridy payments

RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst had written on Wednesday to the committee concerning an RTÉ solicitor’s memo

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has rejected RTÉ’s offer of a compromise regarding an infamous memo relating to the Ryan Tubridy payments scandal, saying that the suggestion “came in far too late”.

The broadcaster’s director general Kevin Bakhurst had written on Wednesday to the committee concerning an RTÉ solicitor’s memo drafted regarding a Teams meeting between former director general Dee Forbes and agent Noel Kelly dating from May 7, 2020—a meeting which saw a deal rubberstamped which resulted in Mr Tubridy being paid €225,000 via hidden cash transfers.

The PAC had insisted it would compel that document’s release at its meeting with RTÉ last month, while RTÉ, for its part, had stated repeatedly that it could not release the memo as it was covered both by legal privilege and client confidentiality.

Following a lengthy meeting in private session on Thursday afternoon, committee chair Brian Stanley told the gathered members that the offer was not deemed to be acceptable, and that the PAC still wished to see the original copy of the memo.

The controversial memo is regarding a Teams meeting between former director general Dee Forbes and agent Noel Kelly dating from May 7 2020

Mr Bakhurst, in his letter to the PAC, had maintained that RTÉ is not in a position to provide the PAC with the note, but as an alternative, the solicitors’ firm Arthur Cox would provide a “detailed summary” of the memo, so long as “it can be agreed that such information would be examined in a private session only”.

Addressing the committee, Mr Stanley said the membership would now write to RTÉ rejecting its offer, and imposing a deadline of next Monday for a response from the broadcaster, following which it would proceed with its plans to compel the memo’s release.

The response of the PAC had been somewhat up-in-the-air, with some members saying on Wednesday that RTÉ’s offer was not close to acceptable, while others speculated that it might be accepted in order to avoid a prolonged battle which the committee might come out on the wrong side of.

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Fianna Fáil’s Cormac Devlin seemed to capture the mood of the gathered members, replying to Mr Stanley saying that “this offer has come in far too late”, while adding that “this note of May 7 is very important to this committee”.

The Dáil committee on procedures and privilege had deferred its deliberations on Wednesday regarding whether or not the PAC would be granted the power to compel the memo’s release—that process will now resume in light of the PAC’s decision to reject RTÉ’s offer.

Meanwhile, RTÉ has sent its strategic vision report to Arts Minister Catherine Martin which outlines measures it will take to reform the national broadcaster and reestablish public trust.