RTÉ wage under reporting over Tubridy fallout slammed as ‘a betrayal’, storms Longford's former Montrose journalist

The additional payments to Mr Tubridy first emerged last Thursday and statements from the broadcaster, the presenter himself, the Government and opposition politicians have done little to quell public ire.

The latest twist in the saga saw Director General Dee Forbes announce her resignation on Monday morning.
In the wake of the resignation announcement Ciarán Mullooly, RTÉ’s former Midlands correspondent, took to social media to say: ““So Dee Forbes resigns and walks away : leaving workforce in chaos : she says in her statement she kept the board up to speed on the Tubridy payments process so it’s time to hear from all present and previous board members and the chairs. The licence payers and staff treated like mugs.”

Speaking to the Leader on Monday Mr Mullooly was critical of the State broadcaster's actions: “I just found it absolutely unbelievable that at a time when we were cutting back in the news division, shutting down operations, reducing staff and reducing output because of the shortage of money in the organisation that the top brass were proceeding to pay Ryan Tubridy €150,000 for absolutely nothing.”

The former Midlands correspondent was incensed by the revelations: “She said they received invoices, but the day is gone when you can provide invoices and expect to get paid when you don't do anything. We lost our main studio in Athlone because of cutbacks. We opened a smaller studio, reduced staff,” Mr Mullooly said, “I just found it disgusting. It was such a betrayal of staff.”

Fine Gael Senator Micheàl Carrigy, a member of the Oireachtas media committee said that “public trust in RTÉ has been shattered”.

Senator Carrigy said the public deserve answers: “There appears to have been a serious breach of oversight here, and as each day unfolds there is a growing list of questions about internal financial practices and the use of certain accounts at the broadcaster.”

The Senator says the relevant minister must ordered an external review to consider the issues and RTE executives should attend the Oireachtas Media Committee and Public Accounts Committee this week: “It is imperative that Montrose staff, including those past and present, must attend both committees to give a truthful and detailed account of the events which led to this sorry state of affairs.”

The RTÉ Board has committed to setting out the circumstances "surrounding the misstating of Ryan Tubridy's earnings across the 2020-2022 period.