Ryan Tubridy is willing to return €150,000 to RTÉ, should corporate events for Renault he was paid to host, don’t take place.
The money was paid by RTÉ to the presenter after the station guaranteed those payments in an agreement with him in 2020.
Mr Tubridy told politicians that he could be out of a job by Friday, but he said that if he does return he would be willing to publish all future contracts online.
He said he wanted to end the “codology” of waiting years to reveal his earnings.
The presenter rejected any assertion that the deal with Renault was about mitigating cuts to his main contract.
He told TDs of his upset and how it is hard to leave the house these days in the aftermath of what he described as the frenzy and mauling of the last three weeks.
He told the meeting that it is obvious that he has a “beef” with some people in RTÉ but he still sees his future there.
Tubridy told the committee members that its “reasonable and fair” that “I should’ve called out the controversial figures when they were released all in one day on 20 January 2021.”
“They were wrong, we had requested they change them before dispatches, but that day we didn’t.”
“So yes, I’m not without blame.”
He admits that it is “touch and go” in relation to whether he keeps his job in RTÉ, adding that he was happy for his contract to be published annually.
He said: “In the event I do keep my job and it’s touch and go for my understanding at the moment.
“I’d be happy to suggest that in the future we would have situation where you publish my contract on an annual basis, with the money and the salary and earnings there, straight up.
“If RTÉ are going through a cathartic week, let this be part of it. I will offer that, I have nothing to hide. Put the contract out, put it online.
“So I hope that’s of use to you, but I’m happy to offer that today.”
Independent TD Peter Fitzpatrick asked if he was “hiding no information.”
Mr Tubridy said he was not. “Let me tell you”, Mr Tubridy said.
“Your dismissal of the good people of Ireland who have the kindness and courtesy to approach me on the street is something I don’t appreciate“, he said.
“I wish I had brought them with me“, Mr Tubridy added.
Sinn Féin TD Imelda Munster asks Ryan Tubridy: “Now that you know RTÉ paid for those payments, do you accept that that was wrong of RTÉ to use the public purse?”
He replies: “I’m not here to be critical of RTÉ, I’ve been working there since I was 12, but I have to defend myself, and the new DG has asked for maximum transparency“.
“So you accept it was wrong?“. He replies: “It strikes me as unorthodox.”
Fine Gael TD Alan Dillon asked whether he is still getting paid by RTÉ at the minute?
“In relation to that verbal agreement in place,” asks Mr Dillon, “what are the terms?
“In relation to the radio programme?”
“I could be out of a job by Friday,” replies Mr Tubridy.
There are six outstanding appearances for Renault at roadshows.
The payment for those roadshows is “in Tuttle’s accounts“, Noel Kelly said.
Asked if it should remain there, Ryan Tubridy said, “There has been no contact on that issue“.
Fianna Fáil TD Christopher O’Sullivan wonders if Tubridy retains full faith in Noel Kelly to represent him following the recent revelations, to which Tubridy said he does.
Asked further then, given RTÉ’s intent to look at how it deals with agents, whether he believed his future at RTÉ was in jeopardy, Mr Tubridy said “No“.
“I do have full faith in Noel and he was doing his job and in the course of his job he was given instructions.”
Neither Ryan Tubridy and Noel Kelly were aware Renault had withdrawn from the tripartite agreement in response to questions from Fianna Fáil TD Paul McAuliffe.
Mr McAuliffe asked Mr Kelly about the invoices raised for three €75,000 payments due to RTÉ, and how the first payment made by Renault had been treated differently to the following two.
“The invoices were raised with you, you have a fiduciary responsibility as director of your company. You raised two – for the same three payments – you raised them under different companies, and you raise them for different reasons, and invoiced them to different people.”
Mr Kelly replied: “We were under instruction, as you can see, ‘description from RTÉ’, ‘description from RTÉ’…”
He added: “Yeah, and they were sent under instruction to RTÉ, and we presumed that Renault were going to be paying this.”
