AS the fallout from the Ryan Tubridy pay scandal continues, another of RTÉ’s flagship presenters has spoken out on the controversy.
Opening her Radio 1 programme on Monday, Claire Byrne called the situation “heart-breaking” and revealed her current salary was €280,000 and that she was shocked by recent developments.
Questions over the Irish national broadcaster were raised after it emerged the former Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy had been paid several hundred thousands more than had been publicly declared.
An audit revealed that between 2017 and 2022, he received payments amounting to €345,000 above his annual published strategy.
Mr Tubridy has said he was surprised at the development, but stated he could not answer for errors made by RTÉ and that his tax payments were fully up to date.
It followed what had been a well-received farewell episode on the Late Late Show and a wave of positive publicity over the appointment of Co Down comedian Patrick Kielty as his successor.
The public outcry has now led to RTÉ’s Director General Dee Forbes stepping down.
Ms Byrne told listeners that she had “never sought, been offered or discussed any kind of commercial or side deal,” and that she did not receive any other kind of side payment.
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Ryan Tubridy ‘surprised' to learn of RTE pay statement errors
She clarified that her absence from the airwaves last week as the story broke was only because of a family trip.
Stating she only learned of the situation as it was reported, she said she had “no prior warning, no inkling that there was a problem on the horizon.”
"My most recent published fee was €350,000. This was the fee agreed by RTÉ, for me to present this radio programme and Claire Byrne Live and as you know, I decided not to continue with that television show for personal and family reasons," she said.
"And so, in order to be fully transparent with you, I want you to know that my RTÉ fee now is €280,000 and that fee is for presenting this programme."
For presenting the television quiz show, Ireland’s Smartest, she was paid a separate fee of €25,000.
"I acknowledge that fee is significant and way beyond what many people could hope to earn.
There are others who will, no doubt, have more to say about it I am sure, but my personal decision here this morning is to be open and honest with you," she said.
Ms Byrne said hearing the disappointment of callers on Friday’s Liveline had been “nothing short of heartbreaking.”
"As programme-makers, our aim is to be consistent, fair, and professional and to respect the hard-earned trust that you, the audience, has in us."
She said that with her high salary, she felt “a duty for me to treat this position with respect and I hope that you can trust me and the team of journalists I work with, to cover this story with the same rigour and balance as we would any other story on this programme".
Meanwhile, the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said RTÉ’s outgoing director general should still appear before parliamentary committees examining corporate governance at the broadcaster.
Having been suspended from her position last week, she was already due to leave her job next month.
In a statement, she said: “I regret very much the upset and adverse publicity suffered by RTÉ, its staff and the unease created among the public in recent days.
“As director-general, I am the person ultimately accountable for what happens within the organisation and I take that responsibility seriously.
“I am tendering my resignation to RTÉ with immediate effect.”
Speaking to reporters at Dublin Castle, Mr Varadkar said: “I think people would like to hear her side of the story and her version of events.
“It is still open to her to attend the committee hearings and I think she should.”
A “thorough review of the governance of RTÉ” has now started, and work on reforming the TV licence has been suspended.
Acknowledging that RTÉ was a large organisation, and the vast majority of employees and the board had no knowledge, he added: “We need to make sure we don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater here.”
Ms Forbes had said RTÉ began discussions around renewing Tubridy’s contract in 2020, including payments agreed before she arrived at the broadcaster.
RTÉ had committed to reducing fees for top talent by 15 per cent, while an agreement meant a commercial partner entered into a separate commercial contract with Tubridy for €75,000, in exchange for the provision of three events annually.
RTÉ guaranteed and underwrote these payments, but the pandemic meant they only received one payment of €75,000 in 2022.
Payment was then sought for 2021 and remaining obligations for 2022, which RTÉ agreed to pay to honour the contract.
Ms Forbes said she had acted in good faith over these payments, but had no knowledge of payments to Mr Tubridy between 2017-2019.
She went on to criticise how she had been treated by RTÉ’s board of directors, and said it had “a very serious” impact on her health and wellbeing.
Media Minister Catherine Martin, has said RTÉ is now facing an “existential crisis” and that a “root and branch” review was required.
