€345,000. This crisis began with the under-declaration of Ryan Tubridy's earnings and, while that sum of money would be very significant to most people, it's only a fraction of RTÉ's total annual expenditure.
The station reported operating costs of €315.5 million in 2021. But, €345,000 is also now a sum that has now caused almost unquantifiable harm to the national broadcaster, created a major rift between board and executive and executive and staff and has inspired scrutiny of staff and staff behaviour that goes far beyond the activities of a former Late Late Show host.
A series of investigations into the Tubridy payments, and other matters arising, are now either under way or about to begin.
A Grant Thornton review into the sum of €120,000, which formed part of the Tubridy under-declaration, is due to be completed in less than three weeks, while that company has also been charged with looking at the RTÉ production Toy Show: The Musical, which we now know made a loss of €2.2 million.
Meanwhile, Minister for Arts and Media Catherine Martin has ordered what has been described as an 'independent, root and branch examination' of RTÉ, comprising two separate and parallel reviews; One of governance and culture and the other of contractor fees and other matters, including HR.
And before these can take place, a forensic accountant is due to begin work at the company as early as next week.
'More information will emerge'
"I believe there is a high probability that more information will emerge in the days and weeks ahead."
These were blunt words from RTÉ Chair Siún Ní Raghallaigh at Wednesday's public meeting of the Oireachtas Media Committee.
Given the number of reviews under way, it has to be assumed that her belief is a reasonable one.
One of the most high-profile names, so far, to have his activities scrutinised is the GAA correspondent and commentator Marty Morrissey, who confirmed on Thursday that he had been loaned a car by Renault from 2017 onwards.
The well-known broadcaster had MC'd a series of GAA-themed talks for the company - for which permission had been sought and granted by RTÉ management - but had not accepted payment.
Mr Morrissey now says his acceptance of the loaned car was "an error of judgement" and has since returned the vehicle. He will be on air, as scheduled this weekend, but his experience is further evidence that all outside work conducted both by staff and contracted employees at RTE is now under the microscope.
Register of interests
Meanwhile RTÉ is to press ahead with the development of a comprehensive register of interests of both staff and contractors.
This process, beginning with on air presenters, has already started and will eventually be extended to all employees, both staff and contractors.
The details, we are told, will be made public once the register is complete.
This register will be yet another file on the desk of Kevin Bakhurst who officially starts as Director General on Monday, but has had the very opposite of a soft launch for his new job.
On Thursday, he was part of an RTÉ delegation called to meet Minister Martin at her office.
Speaking after what was described as a "frank and useful" exchange, Mr Bakhurst said he wouldn't announce his plans for RTÉ until he formally takes charge on Monday, but emphasised that a significant part of his new role will be to restore the trust in the organisation that has been so severely damaged.
And it's that word, 'trust', or more to the point the lack of it, that has been the one constant since this story broke more than two weeks ago.
Because after the opening statements are analysed, the balance sheets scrutinised and the cars parked, one question will remain. Has RTÉ gone far enough?
Far enough to answer all of the questions that have been asked of it and far enough to restore the trust that has been so comprehensively shattered, both between staff and management and between a country and the public service broadcaster it is still obliged to fund.
