RTÉ Director General Dee Forbes resigns amid controversy: "I did not at any stage act contrary to any advice"

RTÉ Director General Dee Forbes has resigned with immediate effect following the Ryan Tubridy overpayment controversy.

"As Director General, I am the person ultimately accountable for what happens within the organisation and I take that responsibility seriously," Forbes said in a statement released today.

Dee Forbes has issued a statement tendering her resignation from RTÉ - read it in full here https://t.co/eN5WqxjKTV

— RTÉ News (@rtenews) June 26, 2023

The statement gave further details into Forbes' role in the various payments and third party agreement negotiated concerning Tubridy.

"As Director General, I led the discussions with the agent for Ryan Tubridy together with other RTÉ senior executives. We were keen to make a cost saving for RTÉ in respect of a contractual payment which was due to be paid," the statement continued.

"I did not at any stage act contrary to any advice," she added.

Forbes had previously been invited alongside other top RTÉ executives to answer questions before two Oireachtas committees this week.

According to Sinn Féin TD member Imelda Munster, who sits on both committees, Forbes is no longer obligated to appear: "She could actually volunteer to attend the committee in the interest of transparency and accountability,” she told Morning Ireland today.

Forbes has not yet announced if she will attend the sessions, stating that "the Board has not treated me with anything approaching the levels of fairness, equity and respect that anyone should expect as an employee, a colleague or a person. All of this has had a very serious and ongoing impact on my health and wellbeing."

Forbes was suspended by the board on the Wednesday, though the announcement was not made public until Friday, the board citing legal concerns.

Turbidy was replaced by Oliver Callan on Friday morning with no indication from the network when or if he will return. He stepped down from The Late Late Show in March to host the Ryan Tubridy show on RTÉ Radio.