Ryan Tubridy repays €150k to RTÉ after payments scandal
Ryan Tubridy has repaid RTÉ a sum of €150,000 he received as part of a controversial payment deal made in 2020.
Tubridy left the national broadcaster following weeks of controversy relating to the organisation publicly under-reporting payments to him.
He received the money as part of the controversial deal to enable top-ups to his salary, which were kept secret by the broadcaster.
Tubridy was paid two instalments of €75,000 by RTÉ, in addition to his salary, for public appearances for Renault, main sponsor of The Late Late Show.
News in 90 Seconds - Aug 8th
The sums were processed through a barter account, which shielded the payments from public view. Tubridy participated in one promotional event for Renault, but the second and third events did not place. The sums were not classified in the broadcaster's annual accounts as salary payments.
In 2023, the director general Kevin Bakhurst said it might not be possible to recuperate this money on a legal basis, but he believed there was a 'moral case' for Tubridy to make the repayment.
Tubridy was also the long-time host of RTÉ's flagship Late Late Show.
In a statement issued on behalf of Tubridy, he said: 'Earlier today I made a payment of 150,000 euro to RTÉ.
'I made this payment through my solicitor, without any discussions with RTÉ – or with anyone acting on their behalf – and without condition.
'I have 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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