RTÉ denies Grant Thornton report on Tubridy pay is finished

The board of RTÉ has disputed reports that a report on Ryan Tubridy’s pay across the 2017-2019 period is finished.

In a statement on Tuesday morning, the board of RTÉ said the second phase of the report it commissioned into the matter from consultancy firm Grant Thornton has not been completed.

“Contrary to reports in the media today, the Grant Thornton II report commissioned by the Audit and Risk Committee (ARC) of the RTÉ Board into the understatement of payments between 2017 and 2019, is not finished.”

“The report process is still under way. The ARC and the RTÉ Board have not received a copy of the Report, nor have they been briefed on its findings at this point.”

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The Irish Independent reported on Tuesday morning that the broadcaster had received the findings of a report into the understatement of the former Late Late Show host’s salary. The report cited senior government sources’ belief that the report is finished and is expected to be given to Minister for Arts and Media Catherine Martin.

During Oireachtas committee hearings earlier this month, Mr Tubridy said that he did not take a €120,000 bonus due to him, but that the figure was later deducted from his published earnings - from amounts that had already been paid to him.

The issue of the treatment of the 2017-2019 earnings is separate to the main controversy over his pay, which relates to three payments of €75,000 to Mr Tubridy stemming from a deal between him, Renault and RTÉ.

The payments were ultimately all funded by RTÉ, either by means of a credit note issued to Renault, which made the first payment, or through its now notorious barter account, which made the second two payments on the basis of invoices for “consultancy services”.