RTÉ admits paying Tubridy €345,000 more than declared

I remember years ago he was interviewing Fergal Quinn. Fergal was telling him about his campaign to eliminate the rogue apostrophe and spelling mistakes in all Superquinn signage. Fergal said a particular irritant was the spelling of ‘ broccoli’. He asked Ryan to spell it and Ryan went purple with embarrassment and refused to even try.

This is just the tip of the ice berg.

And if he is back that just smacks of no accountability - do wrong, get rewarded. He had the chance to hand the money back the day this all blew up (and the day he became aware of it) and he didn't because he thinks he is entitled to the money - the whole "if someone asks me to hand it back I will" just reeks of the self entitlement of the "talent" and whole Board and higher ups in RTE.

They've become so accustomed to the lavish lifestyle they now believe it is a right they are entitled to.

How the government can expect that everyone in the country should pay towards RTE with a broadcasting charge whilst any of the current heads are in charge and absolutely no reform whatsoever. The licence fee allows those who do not want to support RTE and its wastage a means of not supporting it.

RTE is either a PSB or its a commercial operation - they shouldn't be allowed to have the best of both worlds whilst doing the absolute minimum of promotion of Irish heritage and Irish sponsored production. I've seen a good few UK produced shows doing what RTE should have been doing over the past few years - if it was up to RTE Father Ted would have never existed.

If a PSB then zero advertising and all this talk of this "star" and this "star" brings in so much advertising is out the window and they are paid a fair wage (not a contractor)

Didn't expect to go on that rant

You have just described Business /politics in Ireland. There has never been accountability because there is zero appetite for it, and no consequences for criminally abusing publically funded money. It's a vile incestuous cess pitt of depravity . Disgusting immorality from politics and state funded entities colluding with each other to profit themselves at the publics expense

Dee Forbes should have a cab inspector at her door, and a crime investigation...instead she is going to have a state guaranteed golden egg pension and complete impunity!

Yes it is very odd. The correct response would have been to strengthen the leverage of the public rather than weaken it. Even as it stands, in order to fully legally withdraw financial support for RTE, as everyone should, you have to not own a television which, although doable, is still unfair.

A fairer way of funding RTE would be to tie the fee to specifically viewing RTE rather than owning a TV. RTE, if they thought they were any good, would be screaming for this approach. That was always their complaint: people not paying their TV licence but still enjoying RTE's content. Logically therefore a subscription model would be fairest on both consumer and RTE. Only those who pay get to watch RTE (no more evasion) but those who don't are free to watch the output of other companies.

But of course they don't support this model because they know their output is such that very few would choose to pay for it. Hence the rush to a compulsory charge in the wake of the scandal.

For me, it was the vox pop comments that illustrate part of the barrier to change.

“Transparent, genuine statement” - yeah, when caught out after 5 years driving for free

”No big deal” and “So what”. Says it all about the psyche, really

Many people here on this thread, myself included have been absolutely consistent that should be no future role as a public facing presenter for Tubridy in RTE. And that ideally he should take his talents elsewhere.

This as part of a complete overhaul of the contracts other presenters are on. That there needs to be much tighter financial controls in RTE and the ending of the junkets and perks culture.

And that IMHO is what is needed, a steady consistent message and a public demand for change.

"You're the best little future Toyman in the world, yes you are, yes you are".

That would be good, and would be great to see a pathway for a flow of journalism/ media students into the organisation.

No more nepotism.