Ryan Tubridy and Noel Kelly will attend Oireachtas committees to 'clarify a number of matters'

In the letter seen by the Irish Examiner, Mr Tubridy and Mr Kelly say they wish to 'fully cooperate and assist' with investigations

Mr Tubrudy and Mr Kelly confirmed they would attend the Media Committee through Hayes Solicitors in a letter to Fianna Fáil TD Niamh Smyth, who is Chair of the Media Committee.

Ryan Tubridy and Noel Kelly of NK Management have said they will attend Oireachtas committees to “clarify a number of matters that have arisen” next week.

Mr Tubridy and Mr Kelly confirmed they would attend the Media Committee through Hayes Solicitors in a letter to Fianna Fáil TD Niamh Smyth, who is Chair of the Media Committee.

In the letter seen by the Irish Examiner, it states that both Mr Tubridy and Mr Kelly wish to “fully cooperate and assist” with the media committee’s investigations into RTÉ expenditure and governance issues.

“They believe that they have important information that will assist the committee in its examination of these issues and clarify a number of matters that have raised,” it reads.

The letter states that both parties will attend the committee at a suitable time next week and they would welcome the opportunity to set out their positions and take “appropriate questioning” from TDs and Senators at the committee.

The letter also states that a booklet of relevant documents will be prepared in advance of Mr Tubridy and Mr Kelly appearing before the committee and will be shared in advance of the hearing.

A similar letter has also been sent to the Public Accounts Committee.

It comes as RTÉ has been rocked by revelations of previously undeclared barter accounts which management explicitly denied the existence of only last week.

It was revealed on Tuesday that there are three barter accounts — named Astus, Active and Miroma — not one as previously asserted.

Details of a €1.25m "slush fund" for client hospitality and sports events had already shocked politicians.

During the period 2012 to 2022, RTÉ spent an average of approximately €150,000 each year on client entertainment or hospitality, which was paid for through those barter accounts.

RTÉ last night released a tranche of documents relating to secret payments to Mr Tubridy as well as a list of high-earning staff. That list shows that the 100 best-paid people in the organisation still make at least €117,000 a year.

Questioned on the existence of more barter accounts, a spokesperson for RTÉ said the broadcaster will "provide comment and context around these accounts at the joint Oireachtas committee meeting" which begins at 1.30pm on Wednesday.