RTÉ director general resigns over Tubridy payments

Dee Forbes said she had always engaged with the processes directed towards answering questions surrounding payments to Ryan Tubridy

Director general of RTÉ Dee Forbes has resigned with immediate effect after controversy over undisclosed payments to presenter Ryan Tubridy.

The TV and radio host was paid €345,000 (£296,800) more than had been published in the Irish broadcaster's earnings reports.

Mr Tubridy received the payments between 2017 and 2022.

In a statement on Monday, Ms Forbes said she had "engaged with and consistently co-operated with the processes directed towards answering questions surrounding payments to Ryan Tubridy".

"As director general, I am the person ultimately accountable for what happens within the organisation and I take that responsibility seriously," she added.

"I am tendering my resignation to RTÉ with immediate effect."

Following a meeting of its TDs on Monday, it has been reported that the Public Accounts Committee intends to use a legal instrument to gain access to the broadcaster's finances for the first time.

The move will have to be agreed by a government committee and voted on in the Dáil (lower house of parliament) this week.

Ryan Tubridy recently stood down as the host of The Late Late Show

Mr Tubridy recently stood down as the host of RTÉ One's The Late Late Show, Ireland's longest-running TV chat show, with Northern Ireland comedian Patrick Kielty announced as his replacement.

Mr Tubridy hosted the talk show since 2009 after he took over from Pat Kenny.

The Late Late Show is considered the second longest-running late-night talk show in the world, after the Tonight Show in the US.

Mr Tubridy also hosts a weekday show on RTÉ Radio One, but has not been on air since the controversy surrounding payments made to him arose.

The payments made to Mr Tubridy were uncovered after the company's auditors alerted the board to some of the transactions.

Ms Forbes was suspended from her role by the RTÉ board on Wednesday.

She had been due to step down in July.

In her statement this morning, Ms Forbes said that she felt the RTÉ board had not treated her with "anything approaching the levels of fairness, equity and respect that anyone should expect as an employee, a colleague or a person".

"All of this has had a very serious and ongoing impact on my health and well-being," she said.

Accountability

Incoming RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst told the broadcaster's News at One programme he was not involved in any negotiations regarding payments to Mr Tubridy while he was acting director general in 2016.

In a statement released by RTÉ on Monday, the broadcaster said issues around Mr Tubridy's earnings had "raised profound questions".

"The public, public representatives and RTÉ staff want to know what happened, how it happened and who is accountable," it said.

RTÉ said a comprehensive statement would be issued on Tuesday setting out its understanding of the circumstances.

Claire Byrne is another of RTÉ's best-known presenters

Another high-profile RTÉ presenter, Claire Byrne, said her most recent published earnings of €350,000 were correct at the time of publication.

Speaking on her own radio programme, she said this fee had been reduced to €280,000 after she stopped presenting the television programme Claire Byrne Live.

Ms Byrne added that her absence from radio last week was due to a planned family trip and not linked to the controversy regarding undisclosed payments.

The Irish broadcaster has been invited to appear before the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament) media committee on Wednesday.

This will be followed by another appearance the public accounts committee on Thursday.

Tánaiste (Irish Deputy Prime Minister) Micheál Martin has said Ms Forbes should appear before the committees.

Speaking after her resignation, Mr Martin told reporters in Luxembourg that the former director general would have knowledge of the entire situation and would be in position to clarify issues to the committee.

An independent external review of corporate governance at the station will also take place.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) at RTÉ welcomed the announcement and said any review must be transparent and done in a timely manner.