Mr. Noel Kelly:

On reductions, Mr. Tubridy took a 40% pay cut from 2012. "The Late Late Show" is supposed to be 9.30 p.m. to 11.30 p.m. Mr. Tubridy did 38 two-hour shows. I believe the new late late is 30 shows of an hour and a half. Mr. Tubridy did 38 shows of two to two and a half hours. Every 15 or 20 minutes is an extra ad slot, which means more ads. In the new world, if it finishes at 11 p.m., it is a different value to the commercial organisation as such. Over the period of those six years, there was a 40% pay cut, the contract went from €545,000 to €440,000 and over those six years, the commercial revenue to RTÉ between "The Late Late Show" advertising and sponsorship, texting 12345 for the viewers' prize and the radio show was €100 million.

It is a very demanding schedule. You have 38 weeks and you cannot take any time. There is radio and then the show, with a little time off during the summer. I know it is a lot of money and it is not about the amount. Mr. Tubridy said after Covid he left himself on the floor. He was turning 50 and it was time to do other stuff. As an independent contractor, he will be paid less than half to do radio, but he can do a famine documentary and he can write another book. He just wants to change his life. It is time for him to change. It is also time, as it was after Gay Byrne and Pat Kenny, for somebody else to do it.