Media

RTÉ payments controversy: Four investigations under way amid fallout from revelations

Forensic accountancy firm Mazars asked to scrutinise broadcaster’s barter account, Minister confirms

There are also two expert advisory committees investigating RTÉ, while the broadcaster itself has commissioned Grant Thornton to investigate its finances. Photograph: Alan Betson

Rory Fleming
Thu Jul 13 2023 - 16:55

There are now four investigations into the fallout from the string of undisclosed payments to former Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy.

On Wednesday Minister for Media Catherine Martin announced forensic accountancy firm Mazars had been asked to scrutinise RTÉ’s barter account through which two €75,000 payments were routed to Mr Tubridy.

Speaking about the appointment of Mazars, Ms Martin said: “[It] is a very important step in getting to the facts in RTÉ and shedding further light on the issues which have surfaced in recent weeks.”

There are also two expert advisory committees investigating RTÉ, while the broadcaster itself has commissioned Grant Thornton to investigate its finances.

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On Wednesday Ms Martin appointed the final members of the two expert advisory committees involved in the wholesale review into RTÉ's finances.

Stephen Smith was appointed to a committee set up to examine governance and culture within the broadcaster, joining Prof Niamh Brennan and Dr Margaret Cullen. Prof Brennan of University College Dublin’s Centre for Corporate Governance will chair the committee.

Following their assessment, they will make recommendations to Ms Martin regarding RTE’s corporate governance framework and its organisational culture.

Liam Kelly was announced as the final member of another committee established to deliberate over the State broadcaster’s contractor fee payments, human resources and other related matters. Mr Kelly joins Brendan McGinty and Patricia King on the committee, which will be led by Mr McGinty, an expert in strategic employment relations and human resources.

The two reviews are scheduled to last for a six-month period.

A Grant Thornton report, commissioned by RTÉ, found this week that no other RTÉ staff members benefited from additional undisclosed payments. The findings are the first instalment of a larger investigation by Grant Thornton into the organisation’s finances.

The second part of its report will focus on the misstatement of Mr Tubridy’s salary between 2017 and 2019.

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