Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 13 July 2023
Public Accounts Committee
Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): RTÉ
9:30 am
Mr. Adrian Lynch:
I cannot speak for Ryan Tubridy. From the evidence provided yesterday there is a strong Chinese wall there. This is conjecture because I do not know the conversations that are had between the two. From Mr. Kelly's evidence, it certainly seems to be separate. In terms of the evidence I have produced here today, I cannot see if Mr. Kelly was asked to invoice us in the context of it being a one-year Renault deal. I have not seen any evidence and Mr. Kelly may be able to produce some, to Deputy Smith's point, that actually there were conversations had where it looked like Renault. I can categorically say there was no conversation with Renault. The commercial director was never going back to them for another six events and another solution had to be found. At that moment in time, as Mr. Kelly recognises in the Grant Thornton report, this legal contract was underwritten by RTÉ. As a result, the wheels came off the bus and then he was paid through this barter account. A credit note was issued. Mr. Kelly and Mr. Tubridy knew nothing about the credit note. I cannot comment on the payments. That is up to Mr. Kelly.