Ryan Tubridy announces €150,000 payment to RTÉ after financial controversy

Irish Times

6 days ago

Ryan Tubridy
has announced he has paid
RTÉ
€150,000 in connection with controversial payments made to him that plunged the broadcaster into controversy and led to him leaving the station almost two years ago.
'Earlier today I made a payment of €150,000 to RTÉ,' Mr Tubridy said in a statement on Friday afternoon.
'I made this payment through my solicitor, without any discussions with RTÉ – or with anyone acting on their behalf – and without condition.'
The statement concluded with Mr Tubridy stressing he had 'said on various occasions that I intended making this payment and I'm happy to have been able to do so today.'
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Mr Tubridy, who now works for Virgin Radio UK, was to be paid a total of €225,000 over three years by RTÉ as part of a deal brokered by him, his agent Noel Kelly and the station in 2020.
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In return for the payments, which were not disclosed publicly by RTÉ until 2023, he agreed to participate in three corporate events for Late Late Show sponsor Renaut.
The payments were nominally made by the car maker but RTÉ underwrote all three and effectively paid Mr Tubridy. The sums were not classified in the broadcaster's annual accounts as salary payments.
At the height of the controversy over the 'secret payments' in 2023, Mr Tubridy indicated he would be willing to repay the money should he return to RTÉ.
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Asked in 2023 if Mr Tubridy should repay the €150,000 received for those events, RTE's director general Kevin Bakhurst said it might not be possible, on a legal basis, to recoup the money.
But he also said there was a 'moral case' for Mr Tubridy to repay the sum.