Results 981-1,000 of 7,961 for speaker:Imelda Munster

Public Accounts Committee: RTÉ Commercial Arrangements: Mr. Ryan Tubridy and Mr. Noel Kelly (11 Jul 2023)

Imelda Munster: I wish the witnesses a good morning. I want start off with the tripartite agreement. I ask Mr. Kelly to keep his answers as short as possible. Can he tell us briefly how that came about? What was the reason for it?

Public Accounts Committee: RTÉ Commercial Arrangements: Mr. Ryan Tubridy and Mr. Noel Kelly (11 Jul 2023)

Imelda Munster: I am sorry; I must interrupt for a second. It was an RTÉ initiative, but it had to stem from somewhere. Mr. Kelly said in his opening statement that Mr. Tubridy was agreeing to a substantial pay cut from RTÉ. Did it come about on the basis of Mr. Kelly negotiating with RTÉ?

Public Accounts Committee: RTÉ Commercial Arrangements: Mr. Ryan Tubridy and Mr. Noel Kelly (11 Jul 2023)

Imelda Munster: So how did it come about?

Public Accounts Committee: RTÉ Commercial Arrangements: Mr. Ryan Tubridy and Mr. Noel Kelly (11 Jul 2023)

Imelda Munster: Mr. Kelly is seriously saying that it did not come about at all from the pay cuts that Mr. Tubridy was going to take. It was not a way of topping up his salary.

Public Accounts Committee: RTÉ Commercial Arrangements: Mr. Ryan Tubridy and Mr. Noel Kelly (11 Jul 2023)

Imelda Munster: Why would RTÉ, off its own bat, be concerned about setting Mr. Kelly’s client up with a commercial deal? Why would it suddenly, at a time when everybody else was asked to take pay cuts, do that? Who in RTÉ came to Mr. Kelly and said “Listen, we want to look after Ryan and set up a separate commercial deal”? Can Mr. Kelly honestly say that he did not initiate...

Public Accounts Committee: RTÉ Commercial Arrangements: Mr. Ryan Tubridy and Mr. Noel Kelly (11 Jul 2023)

Imelda Munster: Then tell us, who in RTÉ came to Mr. Kelly and what did they say?

Public Accounts Committee: RTÉ Commercial Arrangements: Mr. Ryan Tubridy and Mr. Noel Kelly (11 Jul 2023)

Imelda Munster: RTÉ contacted Mr. Kelly and said “Listen. We are a little bit concerned. Ryan has taken a pay cut. We want to set up a separate deal."

Public Accounts Committee: RTÉ Commercial Arrangements: Mr. Ryan Tubridy and Mr. Noel Kelly (11 Jul 2023)

Imelda Munster: But who came to Mr. Kelly? Was it the director general?

Public Accounts Committee: RTÉ Commercial Arrangements: Mr. Ryan Tubridy and Mr. Noel Kelly (11 Jul 2023)

Imelda Munster: Breda O’Keeffe came to Mr. Kelly. On page 9 of his documents – the pack he gave us – I think it was Mr. Kelly who stated "we would also need a side letter agreement from RTE to guarantee and underwrite this fee for the duration of this contract and beyond into the next contract". Mr. Kelly sought a guarantee for a deal that he had nothing to do with as such.

Public Accounts Committee: RTÉ Commercial Arrangements: Mr. Ryan Tubridy and Mr. Noel Kelly (11 Jul 2023)

Imelda Munster: We know that. Mr. Kelly said that. Sorry, time is of the essence. Mr. Kelly sought the guarantee that RTÉ would pay if the deal went belly up.

Public Accounts Committee: RTÉ Commercial Arrangements: Mr. Ryan Tubridy and Mr. Noel Kelly (11 Jul 2023)

Imelda Munster: Mr. Kelly did not agree with RTÉ underwriting the deal.

Public Accounts Committee: RTÉ Commercial Arrangements: Mr. Ryan Tubridy and Mr. Noel Kelly (11 Jul 2023)

Imelda Munster: At this stage the sponsors were gone and you said-----

Public Accounts Committee: RTÉ Commercial Arrangements: Mr. Ryan Tubridy and Mr. Noel Kelly (11 Jul 2023)

Imelda Munster: I am talking about the tripartite and years two and three as well. Not only did RTÉ underwrite the Renault contract but also there was an agreement to underwrite the two. Mr. Kelly was looking for a side letter agreement from RTÉ to guarantee and underwrite this for the duration of this contract and beyond into the next contract. Mr. Kelly clearly stated on page 9 of his document...

Public Accounts Committee: RTÉ Commercial Arrangements: Mr. Ryan Tubridy and Mr. Noel Kelly (11 Jul 2023)

Imelda Munster: Mr. Kelly stated that Mr. Tubridy was agreeing to a substantial pay cut and he was entitled to seek work elsewhere. That is absolutely fine and nobody has an issue with that. The problem here is that the deal was underwritten at Mr. Kelly's request for the three years by the public purse.

Public Accounts Committee: RTÉ Commercial Arrangements: Mr. Ryan Tubridy and Mr. Noel Kelly (11 Jul 2023)

Imelda Munster: That is the problem here. The deal was underwritten, at Mr. Kelly's request, for the three years of the contract, and it was paid for by public moneys. That is the issue.

Public Accounts Committee: RTÉ Commercial Arrangements: Mr. Ryan Tubridy and Mr. Noel Kelly (11 Jul 2023)

Imelda Munster: Underwritten by who? RTÉ?