RTÉ Latest: Ryan Tubridy and his Agent Agree to sit Before Oireachtas Committee

Ryan Tubridy and his agent Noel Kelly have agreed to appear before the Oireachtas Committee on Media next week in the latest development of the RTÉ payments scandal.

The duo will meet the committee behind closed doors and then appear for public questioning.

A letter from the pair’s solicitor to the committee said that "Mr Tubridy and Mr Kelly wish to fully cooperate and assist with your committee’s investigations.” The letter also stated that Tubridy and his agent “believe that they have important information that will assist the committee.”

The decision was praised by Senator Malcom Byrne of Fianna Fáil on the Claire Byrne show this morning.

“It’s my view that they should be asked to appear in public, ” said Senator Byrne. “I think in the same way that we have invited other witnesses to appear so that the testimony would be available not just to us, who are members of the Oireachtas media committee, but indeed to the wider public and to license fee payers.”

Breaking - Letter in which presenter Ryan Tubridy and agent Noel Kelly offer to help Media Committee ⁦@rtenews⁩ pic.twitter.com/exnSIWdHc2

— Paul Cunningham (@RTENewsPaulC) July 5, 2023

RTÉ’s crisis deepened yesterday evening, as another barter account used for secret payments to the Late-Late Show host was disclosed.

It was also revealed this morning that Toy Show-The Musical suffered a loss of €2.2 million.

The news came before the national broadcaster is set to sit in front of an Oireachtas committee at lunchtime today.

Media Minister Catherine Martin T.D released a statement on the situation earlier today, “I have spoken to the Chair today and received an outline of the Board’s posi-tion.

“She informed me that the Board has now written to the Deputy Director General and the incoming Director General outlining that this is totally unacceptable,” the statement read. “ I absolutely understand that erosion of confidence and it is impera-tive that full clarity around these, and all issues, are forthcoming without any further delay.”

Minister Martin also stated that she will be meeting with the Chair tomorrow, and that a Grant Thornton investigation will be looking into the Toy Show- The Musical.

The scandal has entered its third week since RTÉ disclosed hidden payments of €345,000 to Ryan Tubridy, who has now been confirmed to be off-the-air for at least six months.

The exposure continues to raise criticism of RTÉ , as the state-funded broadcaster gave false statements on Tubridy’s salary to staff, the government, and viewers, at a time when it was looking for extra funding and pay cuts.