Déjà vu, Groundhog Day, so claimed TDs as RTÉ executives lined up at the Oireachtas Committee on Media for questions amid a pay controversy.
While the hearing didn't bring the same jaw-dropping moments of 2023, there was still plenty to digest.
Here are 10 key takeaways:
1. Mooney's Money
For 2023 and Ryan Tubridy, read 2026 and Derek Mooney.
The committee heard more details of how the veteran presenter came to be classified as a producer and so, his earnings not included in the list of top 10 earning presenters.
RTÉ's former director general Dee Forbes instructed that Derek Mooney be classified a producer for the purpose of presenting his pay.
RTÉ's Deputy Director General Adrian Lynch confirmed Ms Forbes made the move in 2020 - saying an instruction came from the Chief Financial Officer to a person in RTÉ's payments department - "but that it was per DG, which is the important piece".
The Green Party's Malcolm Noonan asked why Mr Mooney was classified as a producer - when his weekly nature programme on Radio 1 was always assigned a producer, including former station head Anna Leddy.
RTÉ's Director General Kevin Bakhurst explained that 75% of Mr Mooney's workload is as a producer, with the remainder as a presenter.
Fianna Fáil's Peter "Chap" Cleere queried this.
"If somebody's on the highest scale as a producer and they give them €90k plus, does that mean Mr Mooney was getting €110,000 a year to present a show maybe an hour a week? For a few birds singing?" he asked.
Mr Bakhurst said he does not just do one hour a week and that the Dawn Chorus takes a whole year to set up.
"It’s not a question of hours, that’s [Dawn Chorus] a seven-hour programme, an international programme, that requires a whole year of setting up and liaising," he said.
Mr Bakhurst said Mr Mooney didn't benefit financially from the way his pay was presented by RTÉ.
He couldn't explain why the issue of how his pay was presented only came to light now.
2. What about Ryan Tubridy?
Kevin Bakhurst told the committee how thousands of documents had been handed over to Mr Tubridy and his agent Noel Kelly.
However, Mr Tubridy and Mr Kelly had appealed to the Data Protection Commissioner, saying more documents were in RTÉ's possession.
Mr Bakhurst said RTÉ had paid Arthur Cox solicitors over €100,000 for dealing with the matter.
3. Mentioning Tubs - what of the Late Late?
Kevin Bakhurst confirmed contingency planning is under way should Patrick Kielty not return for the next season of the Late Late Show.
He said RTÉ was still negotiating with the Down native and wanted him back at the helm of the long-running chat show.
The longer time goes by, the more speculation will grow on what's behind the delay in confirming the host for another season and indeed who might replace him should he leave.
4. Marty Morrissey on the brain
Mary Morrissey's dancing skills came under fire as Fianna Fáil's Peter "Chap" Cleere asked whether RTÉ staff who appear on Dancing with the Stars get a payment as well as their salary.
RTÉ Deputy Director General Adrian Lynch said: "So we had two contestants - one was Marty Morrissey, who was not paid and the other person was Des Cahill, who is a contractor."
Committee Chair Alan Kelly accused Deputy Cleere of having "Marty on the brain", to which he retorted "well, he didn't deserve to get paid with some of the quality of his dancing".
Ouch.
Mr Cleere is a former Kilkenny hurler so one wonders whether he still remembers a Marty commentary of a Cats defeat.
Either way, the committee heard how Deputy Cleere might be renowned for his Charleston, so at least we know who'll appear on next year's Dancing with the Stars.
RTÉ Deputy Director General Adrian Lynch said he would check if anyone else from the organisation who appeared on the show was paid a fee for doing so.
5. Familiar faces
Tense exchanges ensued when Kevin Bakhurst was quizzed by a familiar face around Montrose - Evanne Ní Chuilin.
The now Fine Gael Senator took the Director General to task about her experience working for RTÉ Sport - including as a presenter of several programmes.
"I presented for your organisation for more than 10 years and worked there for more than 20 years. I presented for 10 years and I asked repeatedly for a presenter contract but I was never given a presenter contract and I should have been," she said.
Ms Ní Chuillin indicated she was classified in RTÉ as a multi-media journalist with a maximum salary of €69,000.
Ms Ní Chuillin said she had been given a presenter's allowance of €10,000 but this was taxed at 50% and not pensionable.
She said it feels RTÉ is getting away with a two-tier system.
"I was good money, I was worth the money that you paid, you got good value out of me," she put it to her former employer, adding that she felt she was treated poorly by certain people in RTÉ.
Mr Bakhurst insisted he was trying to fix the system too and that he has rejected senior well paid people coming to him looking for more money.
"I say no, more than I say yes," he insisted.
Watch: Evanne Ní Chuilinn says 'two-tier system' at play in RTÉ
Another familiar face to quiz Mr Bakhurst was news anchor-come Fianna Fáil Senator Alison Comyn.
She called on RTÉ to release a list of all presenters paid over €100,000.
Mr Bakhurst said he would be happy to publish a list of RTÉ's top 100 earners but GDPR rules might prevent such a move.
6. Prague play-off
Kevin Bakhurst defended the decision to send 41 staff to Prague for March's World-Cup play-off defeat to Czechia.
"The whole nation was discussing it - it's exactly the kind of public service broadcasting we should be doing - bringing the country together", he said, adding how the match garnered a "record audience".
In total, 21 of them "went for radio", and "the amount of commercial revenue that was driven by those radio programmes - in terms of extra advertising and sponsorship - more than paid for all those people to go - in fact they made a profit," he explained.
"To send them it was probably about 25,000 all in", he said, later clarifying that this was for the 21 radio people, as he hadn't gone through the TV costings.
"The TV costings I haven't got through yet."
The DG said none of the RTÉ board went and that he had refused an invitation to go.
However, Fine Gael Senator Garret Ahearne wasn't impressed saying he couldn't get a flight to Prague himself for less than €600.
He did commend Samantha Libreri's reflection on Prague heartache for the Boys in Green - which you can read here if it doesn't bring back too many painful memories of what might have been.
7. Slán to the Top 10?
Committee Chair Alan Kelly said it was time to say goodbye to the top 10 presenter earners list.
He said that given all that has come out, it should be disregarded as a "waste of space".
The Tipperary North TD also put it to Mr Bakhurst that if all payments were included, some on air presenters could be paid more than the DG himself.
He agreed - having previously stated nobody in the organisation should earn more than his salary of €250,000.
This has prompted RTÉ to re-negotiate some contracts with some of its top earning presenters while other household names have left the broadcaster.
Mr Bakhurst is due a €20,000 salary rise - pending approval from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
The committee also learned how 13 people at RTÉ are earning more than the self imposed €250,000 salary cap when entitlements are taken into account, such as pension contributions and allowances.
8. Callan gets a kicking
Some TDs came armed with questions around pay arrangements for RTÉ Radio 1 presenter Oliver Callan - whose production company also presents a popular satirical radio programme "Callan's Kicks".
The committee heard how the Monaghan native is paid €150,000 a year to present his two-hour daily radio programme.
But, Fine Gael's Micheál Carrigy and Fianna Fáil's Malcolm Byrne queried whether this fee included his work on Callan's Kicks.
Mr Bakhurst confirmed Mr Callan was in receipt of a second payment for his work on the satirical programme which was paid separately through his production company.
"In that case, Oliver is employing writers, producers, sound people, there's a whole crew that go into it to actually make the product that's delivered to RTÉ. I think it's important," he explained.
However, he acknowledged the money given to Mr Callan directly would likely propel him into the list of top 10 earning presenters.
Given some TDs keen interest in the Monaghan impressionist, it will be interesting to see what the new season of Callan's Kicks comes up with in the Autumn.
9. Seán Rocks
On Monday, partner of the deceased RTÉ Radio 1 Arena presenter Seán Rocks met Minister for Communications Patrick O'Donovan to express concern over the classification of Mr Rocks work at the broadcaster.
Catherine Bailey told Mr O'Donovan that Mr Rocks was primarily classified as a producer with the station, even though his role was as presenter of the nightly arts programme.
Ms Bailey said this has had implications for her and her family since the death of her partner of 22 years.
The Monaghan native presented Arena from 2009 until his death in July of last year.
Committee Chair Alan Kelly is to write to RTÉ Chair Terence O'Rourke over the treatment of Mr Rocks.
"I have to mention Seán Rocks. I spoke to his widow, Catherine Bailey, and that, I'm sorry, that is a horrendous situation.
"He paid for his loyalty, he paid for his love of his work," said Deputy Kelly, who claimed Ms Bailey was going to have to leave her home in July.
Fine Gael's Evanne Ní Chuilin said the case was "tragic" with Mr Rocks classified as a producer for 16 years.
10. Mailbag
Oireachtas hearings involving RTÉ can often throw up all sorts of references.
So credit Independent Senator Ronan Mullen for reminding us of Mailbag - an RTÉ TV programme that ran from 1982 to 1996 where presenter Arthur Murphy and others read out letters from viewers on RTÉ content.
"Sometimes it was making fun of the writers in [to the show] but at least it was some form of self-reflection," noted Senator Mullen.
Let's see if the DG heeds the call to bring the programme back.
