Ryan Tubridy ; Has he paid back the Irish Tax Payer ?

Do you want me to look up the Media Committee for you?

https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/oireachtas/2025/05/28/live-updates-rte-oireachtas-media-committee/

and if you can't trust the times

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/joint_committee_on_arts_media_communications_culture_and_sport/2025-05-28/speech/474/

Much of this controversy started with an individual the Cathaoirleach referenced earlier, Ryan Tubridy, and the payment of €150,000. Is RTÉ still aiming to retrieve that money? Where is it at?

KB4 replies

The answer is that Ryan Tubridy has not paid back that amount. We have asked him. We have no legal basis, as I have said previously, but I would like him to pay it back obviously.

It will be interesting to see if Duffy got an exit payment, like that of Pat Kenny when he left.

@Cyclingtourist

So a few posts back I said

I think RTÉ said in the last Oireachtas they asked but it was a very much, we've asked but we aren't asking again and have no real interest. Renault never paid this 150k so they aren't looking for the work to be carried out.

Can you give me that ?

The TD/Sendator asked 2 questions, the first I quote and I reference KB4's answer in relation to that, yes, there are other question in the Media committee put to RTÉ. (I was highlight that part of the question).

But just to quote you on the idea that he didn't say "he asked" or that "rte asked" he says (I have bold the area where says and I quote "We have asked him"

"The answer is that Ryan Tubridy has not paid back that amount. We have asked him. We have no legal basis, as I have said previously, but I would like him to pay it back obviously.

"We have asked him" and if you could acknowledge that I took this as "we've asked but we aren't asking again, and have no real interest"

You quote the article

Kevin Bakhurst has confirmed the former RTÉ broadcaster has not repaid two payments of €75,000 he received as part of the controversial Renault deal in 2020.

So to conclude in 2025 the RTE position is that legally if not morally (in their view) Tubridy is entitled to keep the €150K.

Given that's their position it seems unlikely they will ever formally request its return.

Have I said otherwise? (Though i think you mean RTÉ believe morally he should, but legally they have no avenues to demand that money be returned*).

Also Renault never paid RTÉ that money.

*and they have moved on, and aren't pushing for the return of that money.

RTÉ don't want to make an issue out of any off this.

You have to remember there are 2 parts of the scandal.

The first goes back to Toy Show the Musical, RTÉ refused point blank to release any details of its failure, but clearly RTÉ during the run was under pressure, here's an article out lining how good the musical was and don't be critical think of the staff and children working on the show

https://www.rte.ie/eile/2022/1217/1342461-dee-forbes-rte-is-very-proud-of-toy-show-the-musical/

The Oireachtas had asked about the show, only to be told that RTÉ were rethinking the project but that it would be back.

Then Tubs' payments are pointed to and RTÉ had to be open about these payment. This lead to RTÉ having to be honest about everything, and we get the fall out of the Toy Show the Musical, the flip-flops, the bus to croke park, guests to The Olympics and so on and so forth.

But lets not for get for 20 years RTÉ had spun the idea to get the best you have to pay well, and this goes back not just to Tubs deal (unilaterally agree to by Dee Forbes) but other the whole idea of these presenters getting so much money.

No one mentions the €50k moving expenses given to Forbes when she took the job, no one mentions the flights to NYC given to the former head of news for non RTÉ related work, we seem to forget that the leadership team may still be in receipt of €25k in car allowances, while €70k was spent on the autumn scheduled launch in 2022… as they continued to say they have no money.

And I am not trying to derail from the €150k but it might be small but it adds into all the other €150k and they still do this, have you seen their €100k news promo that was launched?

How can RTÉ say anything moral about Tubs when they signed of on Breda O'Kefee's exit payment.

The late night (presuming they're keeping Irish time) haters are out in force.

The Indo survey said 31% of the Irish people think the €150k is his and he should keep it, apparently another 14% are don't knows/cares. My own position is it's legally his and what he does with it after paying tax is his business. IMO he has no moral obligation to give it to RTE.

As regards whether I think he has talent yes I do even though I don't regularly listen to him and didn't when he was on RTE Radio One.

Neither did I regularly watch the LLS when he had that gig but then I don't watch it now either.

"So why do you care about is soooo much that you continue to post about it ? What is YOUR motivation."

Good question and one that applies even more to you, someone who hasn't lived in Ireland for 'quite a few years' yet you care enough to start a thread about it.

My answer is I'm interested, as an Irish citizen and resident, in how the RTE revelations of 2023 were handled by politicians and the media. I'm also interested in how other Irish 'scandals' are also exploited by politicians and media. These two groups have their own interests to further under the cloak of 'serving the public'. IMO Tubridy was the perfect fall guy for the mis-management of RTE over many years.

Why do you care soooooooo much that you started this thread under a misleading headline?

What is YOUR motivation?

Edit: I now see your

"Mine is that he said he would do something but hasn’t done it. Again, No Integrity Tubridy."

So you're so concerned you felt the urge to start a thread about Tubridy's supposed lack of integrity? Really?

So you hate Ryan Tubridy and have always done so, suspected as much.

I think some people in this thread are being wholly nieve and a little bit silly re: Tubs repaying money. Let’s play it out…

IRL this has played out. The money has been spend and truth be known RTE have probably pissed as much money away since on biscuits and tea.

What’s the ideal situation? Tubridy, Noel Kelly and sure well included the new fiancée (sure didn’t we as taxpayer pay for her trillion dollar engagement ring?) rock up RTE or even the revenue office with a suitcase full of money. They drop it off, Tubs breaks down and gives a tearful “hands up” apology to the onlooking media. We celebrate in the streets that a massive wrong has been righted and thank god everyone here can forgive Ryan. All it now well and he can go back on the Irish Irish Irish radio where he belongs.

Please someone tell be how RT paying it back plays out? Beyond “He pays. I sleep better at night”?

Imagine the void in certain people’s life if that scenario played out? I wonder what next bad boy would they target? Could there be a badder boy ever?

Of course not, and again for the last 25 years or more RTÉ have been bad in negotiations with "stars".

I wouldn't argue either way on how upstand Tubs is, but I would say I don't believe him when he says he didn't know anything about how much he was paid or how he was paid.

Not sure about the 150k but he did waive his right to a contract completion payment of 120k which, after tax etc, should have him well in the black with RTÉ.

Asked and answered at least twice.

No doubt it's ignored because it doesn't fit the popular narrative.

"A second Grant Thornton report has confirmed RTÉ presenter Ryan Tubridy waived a €120,000 exit free which he was entitled at the end of his contract.

The former Late Late Show host told an Oireachtas Committee hearing last month that because of how RTÉ reported his decision to waiver the payment in its accounts, the narrative became that he had taken the money and hidden it – which he said was not true.

RTÉ’s Chief Financial Officer Richard Collins said that “for an unexplained reason that €120,000 was credited against his earnings between 2017 and 2019. That’s under investigation at the moment”."

RTÉ payments scandal: New Grant Thornton report confirms Ryan Tubridy waived €120,000 exit fee | Goss.ie

'under investigation at the moment' 🙄 I bet it is.