RTÉ admits paying Tubridy €345,000 more than declared

skimpydoo · 20-10-2023 09:44PM

Looks like Joe is back on the air Monday.

Brendan Bendar · 20-10-2023 10:00PM

No surprise Ferriter defends RTE.

No surprise the media rally round RtE

No surprise RTE are still trying to obfuscate and stifle

No surprise the Politicians tiptoeing around the issues.

No surprise all these ‘correspondents’ who seemed missing through the Summer suddenly are all over the airwaves.

No surprise that no real changes have been made or seem to be imminent.

No surprise that JQ Taxpayer will be the fall guy for these liggers ….

Unless he grows a pair and brings a long memory to the next election.

NIMAN · 21-10-2023 02:07PM

And the scandals just keep on coming at rte.

When will it end?

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/almost-700-workers-involved-in-bogus-contracting-scandal-at-rte/a1339732462.html

fritzelly · 21-10-2023 02:41PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121267080#Comment_121267080

So 40% of their staff are self employed - no company in the world has that many full-time self employed

alzer100 · 21-10-2023 02:52PM

Revenue are in for a nice payday. 20 million!

21-10-2023 03:09PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121267297#Comment_121267297

Revenue, which collects money on behalf of the state, are in for a payday from an organisation heavily funded by the state. So no net gain here.

Trampas · 21-10-2023 03:16PM

Staff compensation. You can be sure a lot are charging a higher rate that the permanent staff to cover this like days off. Sick pain isn’t a given

alzer100 · 21-10-2023 03:23PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121267355#Comment_121267355

Oh my heart just bleeds for them.

21-10-2023 03:28PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121267297#Comment_121267297

20m was based in 200 employees, we are told today there are 700 bogus self employments. Wait until RTE have to back fund their pensions etc.

saabsaab · 21-10-2023 03:56PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121267422#Comment_121267422

That hole is getting bigger. The LF just won't be enough..

SEPT 23 1989 · 21-10-2023 04:32PM

If they were self employed they would be able to claim their expenses off their income tax bill every year

so if they now want to be treated as PAYE workers going back years will they have to pay all that back ?

NIMAN · 21-10-2023 04:37PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121267625#Comment_121267625

I'm sure REVENUE will be able to tell them what they owe and what they don't owe.

As for us trying to get some laughs out of the mess rte are creating for themselves, and adding this bill now to the pile, fundamentally it'll be us the taxpayer will have to bail them out.

Cluedo Monopoly · 21-10-2023 05:28PM

I can see now why Catherine Martin is utterly toothless re RTE. She was on the radio this afternoon and is an absolute waffler. I doubt she achieves much in her department at all.

Trampas · 21-10-2023 07:43PM

Have they stopped releasing the numbers of license fees not renewed.

What do rte employees/contractors actually do? How much tv do they produce and not outsourced to some production company. How many work in radio

skimpydoo · 21-10-2023 11:09PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121267080#Comment_121267080

I had mentioned this on here a few months ago stating that the excellent Martin McMahon was instrumental in this coming to light and that he was helping RTE employees in court cases. Two of the court cases have been won by employees.

https://twitter.com/williamhboney1/status/1715763810106024209

jmcc · 22-10-2023 04:25AM

The Sindo hasn't gotten over Tubridy. Apparently, the show with no permanent host has not been able to secure a six figure sponsor.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/rte-has-still-not-found-a-six-figure-sponsor-to-pay-for-ryan-tubridys-old-radio-slot/a914680551.html

No offers coming over the phone for the Ryanstone cowboy? RTE was telling people that the "talent" had to be highly paid to stop other broadcasters poaching them. Not one offer either in Ireland, the UK or the USA. Even the publicity for the formerly famous Tubridy has stopped.

Regards...jmcc

tom23 · 22-10-2023 09:49AM

It was the greatest trick the devil ever pulled.

jmcc · 22-10-2023 01:50PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121267794#Comment_121267794

The problem for Martin, and other school teacher/TDs, is that it is very easy to appear smart while standing in front of a bunch of kids with the teacher's version of their text book which has the answers to the exercises.

In the real world, and especially with RTE, there is no teacher's book with all the answers.

Regards...jmcc

Gadgetman496 · 22-10-2023 05:17PM

INCOME FROM THE TV licence is down €14.2 million to date this year arising from the RTÉ payment scandal as growing numbers of people are opting not to renew their licence, new figures show.

According to figures provided by the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sports and Media, Catherine Martin, revenues from the €160 TV licence are down 31% from 1 July to 16 October compared with the corresponding period for last year.

At a sitting of Ennis District Court earlier this month, 14 people before the court for non-payment of their TV licence escaped any court sanction after their cases were struck out on application from the State.

This followed the retirement of an An Post employee who was no longer in a position to provide evidence in court on the non-payment of the TV licences.

hotmail.com · 22-10-2023 07:13PM

Kielty not really working out for the LLS.

Turns out he's not that funny. His Northern background a distraction. I can't see his contract being renewed.

This of course means they could revert to an old boring reliable - someone like Claire Byrne. Although her TV career appears to be over.

Agent Coulson · 22-10-2023 08:01PM

That €14.2m works out at just over 86k households that previously paid the licence now haven't paid the licence fee in 3 months since Tubridy's backhand payments came to light.

Tubridy really might just have ended RTE as a full public service broadcaster and cost a lot of people their jobs.

Is there a judge in the Country now that will have the nerve to actually convict someone for not paying the licence fee.

chrisd2019 · 22-10-2023 08:32PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121271959#Comment_121271959

While it may be popular to hag all this on Tubridy, he didn't alone create the current public disapproval of the broadcaster. The rot went a lot higher up the corporate tree from what has been revealed so far.

RoTelly · 22-10-2023 09:06PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121271786#Comment_121271786

It is a 3 year contract. Not only were RTÉ lying about how much they need to pay their top presenters but that largely they had negotiate 5 year contracts, not yearly contracts. They whole reason for RTÉ not announce those figures the following year but 2 years after the fact was due to "competition".

On PK2, people are still watching can't see them stopping over the coming series, though I didn't watch on Friday Night.

podgeandrodge · 22-10-2023 09:07PM

At this point, there are households that simply won't renew because the Govt. have hinted that the writing may be on the wall for a licence fee type arrangement, who wants to pay for a licence and find they didn't need to. Prob be 2025 at least, but I reckon plenty will not renew for the next year.

retalivity · 22-10-2023 10:58PM

Yeah, id say critical mass has been reached with the licenses, will only snowball more from now.

Re: the bogus self employed thing. I am a contractor. I work with companies on contracts for a day rate. I do not get paid for sick days nor do i get other entitlements like pension etc. I don't expect to either. I may get some other benefit, discounted canteen, invite to xmas party, free food and drink etc., but its at the company's discretion. Contracts are generally 3/6/12 months long and then reviewed. If you're no longer required, bye, and good luck. In return, my rate is over and above what an employee would get - that's the tradeoff.

To be creaming it for years at high rates and then complain about 'statutory benefits' takes some neck. Then again, nothing that RTE or RTE people do seems to surprise me anymore...

MrMusician18 · 23-10-2023 07:04AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121272204#Comment_121272204

Or worse, pay for a licence fee and then the govt turn around and institute some inescapable broadcasting charge that you have to pay as well.

RoTelly · 23-10-2023 12:39PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121272965#Comment_121272965

I'd ... assume... that if your license fee is up to date you won't have to pay the household fee.

You have to remember An Post won't want to give up the collection and the government know removing it from An Post would potentially be political suicide.

Really An Post should be asked why they can't collect the fee fully, even if 50% of the 15% that don't normally pay don't have a TV, how are you not able to collect the 7.5% that should be collected. And also since 2000 has the evasion rate increase and has it made any difference to the avoidance rate. IMO that 15% non-collection has been their since the 1990s.

arctictree · 23-10-2023 12:53PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121272622#Comment_121272622

Also, these guys know full well that they are contractors. Sure they would have companies and be submitting invoices each month...

saabsaab · 23-10-2023 02:17PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121273998#Comment_121273998

One aspect lost about this is that the true number employed is not 1,800 approx. When you add in the reclassified 'self-employed' it is 2,500! A means of keeping the true figure hidden?

Hyperbollix · 23-10-2023 02:47PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121271786#Comment_121271786

Not sure which chatshow you were watching but the one I saw last Friday night was actually very decent. PK had a strange mix of guests from Jean Claude Van Damme to Liam Brady, to James Blunt to a transwoman and he handled them all expertly. There wasn't one awkward moment or conversational cul de sac.

As for being funny, he's constantly slipping in little quips which go down well with both the audience and guests. Let's be honest, he 10x times funnier than Pat Kenny and he exists in another stratosphere of funny to Ryan "Oh Geewilikers" Tubridy.

My guess is RTE will be begging him to renew but he'll be absolutely sick of the poor guests, travelling back n forth and will probably be getting signed up to something better which will mean he'll decide not to renew.

RTÉ admits paying Tubridy €345,000 more than declared

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