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RTÉ board receives further Grant Thornton report into understatement of Tubridy earnings

Asked when the report would be published, an RTÉ spokesperson said 'the process is ongoing'
Asked when the report would be published, an RTÉ spokesperson said 'the process is ongoing'

The RTÉ board has received a further Grant Thornton report into the understatement of presenter Ryan Tubridy's earnings by €120,000 between 2017 and 2019.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the board said the report will now be the subject of detailed consideration by the board and its audit and risk committee.

Asked when the report would be published, the spokesperson said: "the process is ongoing".

An Oireachtas Committee has heard that Mr Tubridy was due a €120,000 loyalty bonus at the end of his contract which ran from 2015 - 2020, but this was not paid.

RTÉ's Chief Financial Officer Richard Collins said that "for an unexplained reason that €120,000 was credited against his earnings between 2017 and 2019. That's under investigation at the moment."

Mr Tubridy told the committee hearing that he waived his entitlement to the payment but becaue of how RTÉ reported that decision in its accounts, the narrative became that he had taken the money and hidden it, which he said was not true.

Mr Tubridy has been off air from his weekday radio show since the payments scandal broke in June and his future at the broadcaster remains in doubt.

RTÉ has been engulfed in controversy since it admitted it had underdeclared Mr Tubridy's earnings by €345,000 from 2017 to 2022.

The figure includes three €75,000 annual payments received by Mr Tubridy for proposed public appearances for Renault, as part of a tripartite agreement involving the sponsor, RTÉ and the presenter.

The most controversial aspect of the deal was RTÉ's decision to underwrite the payments, which effectively resulted in the publicly funded broadcaster covering the costs.