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Irish Examiner
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Gareth O'Callaghan: It's been two years since Tubridy was thrown to the lions. Is it time for RTÉ to ask him back?
'Until someone is prepared to lay out the systemic problem, we will simply go through cycles of finding corruption, finding a scapegoat, eliminating the scapegoat, and relaxing until we find the next scandal.' I'm not a fan of American politician Newt Gingrich; but as I read these words of his, I'm reminded of where I was this week two years ago when Ryan Tubridy's stellar career as Ireland's leading broadcaster started to come apart in what was a bolt out of the blue. Barely a month before, a day ahead of his final Late Late Show, he told fans: 'Tomorrow night is going to be a night of endings for sure, but beginnings for definite.' In hindsight, some might have called his words prophetic, others foreboding; but it seems certain he knew nothing about what was careering down the tracks. It would take a long hot summer before RTÉ's director general Kevin Bakhurst finally announced on August 18 that Tubridy would not be returning to his radio show, after a two-month controversy that became the most damaging crisis the broadcaster has ever faced in its almost 100-year history. It was an inglorious sacking, painfully drawn out, and made worse the previous month by the performances of some politicians on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) with their humiliation of Tubridy and his agent Noel Kelly during live Oireachtas TV sessions, the first of which had more than nine million minutes of online viewing. No doubt it's a date that's etched forever in his memory, the day his career slipped from his grip and his life changed — Tuesday, July 11, 2023, when he was thrown to the lions in Leinster House, a place that's not always known for its moral compass. For the first time in its history, this online streaming channel, which most viewers to the event had never heard of, had bigger audiences than the annual Toy Show. Pubs across the country showed the televised meetings on their big screens, while clips from earlier sessions were viewed millions of times on TikTok. 'This is my first rodeo being in the public eye,' Tubridy told PAC that day. 'My name has been desperately sullied, I think my reputation has been sullied.' Strong words not used lightly, which led this writer to suspect he was being scapegoated as a result of a gargantuan cover-up — one that, it turned out, had been simmering for years. No doubt Tuesday, July 11, 2023, is a date that's etched forever in Ryan Tubridy's memory, the day his career slipped from his grip and his life changed. File photo: Oireachtas TV In the words of American diplomat Madeleine Albright, 'the cover-up, more than the initial wrongdoing, is what is most likely to bring you down.' And it did, royally. It was a scandal waiting to happen, and it was allowed to happen, not just by successive RTÉ managements, but by governments who ignored the warning signs for years. Looking back at the cast of characters who testified at the hearings, the only one thrown under the bus was Tubridy. That tells its own story. It wasn't until Grant Thornton's report was published in August two years ago that the facts became clear amidst all the convoluted evidence divulged by both sides. But by then, one man's reputation had been badly harmed. It found that RTÉ had intentionally understated Tubridy's annual salary by €120,000 across the three years from 2017-2019 by driving down payments made to him to under €500,000. In total, Tubridy was overpaid by €345,000. This conclusion cleared him of blame, which appeared at one point to be piled high and deep against him. RTÉ essentially disregarded its own payroll system so as to undervalue Tubridy's salary. Payroll software at the broadcaster clearly showed he was paid more than the €500,000 over each of the three years. According to the report, Tubridy was also entitled to a €120,000 bonus, which he chose to waive. Hindsight can be merciless. What remains foremost in public memory two years later is the side deal with Renault, which RTÉ footed the bill for. Pubs across the country showed the televised meetings on their big screens from Oireachtas TV of RTE's star presenter Ryan Tubridy. File photo: Oireachtas TV In 2020, Tubridy was paid by RTÉ in a sponsorship deal brokered by him, his agent and the broadcaster worth €225,000, in return for taking part in three corporate events for the car dealer, of which only one took place. He hasn't repaid the outstanding €150,000. Last weekend, media minister Patrick O'Donovan encouraged Tubridy to hand back the money, 'so we can move on from it,' he said. Ryan Tubridy has clearly moved on from it. He now lives in London, recently got engaged, and carving out a career for himself in radio, having been left with little choice but to leave the country, censured as the poster boy of a scandal he didn't cause. He became the fall guy as accountancy practices that had been going on for years in RTÉ finally became public. Was there any need for the public humiliation and the verbal flogging that Ryan Tubridy was subjected to two years ago? Did it serve any purpose, apart from dividing a national audience? If anything, it laid bare the banjaxed business model of RTÉ. The station posted a €9.1million loss in 2023 when its licence revenue took a massive hit as a result of the scandal, which it likely will never recover from. Its business model has never worked, so how can it hope to be self-sufficient? Government handouts are RTÉ's only hope of surviving, but for how long more? I suspect Kevin Bakhurst is keeping a close eye on the BBC, whose charter comes up for renewal in two years; when the network will have to prove its fitness in negotiations in order to take on the next 10 years of public service broadcasting. RTÉ has always fancied itself as a BBC-type replica with the additional benefit of commercial revenue income. BBC's charter comprises a trio of core objectives: the pursuit of truth with no agenda, an emphasis on its native culture and storytelling, and a mission to bring people together – not unlike RTÉ. But has RTÉ not failed in two of these objectives in the light of what happened two years ago? RTÉ has a serious public service broadcasting remit, which is becoming more and more difficult to commit to in the modern climate of content-rich competitors with very deep pockets. In television land, new content is king. Repeating old programmes in order to fill a television schedule is one sure way to drive away viewers. It's difficult not to feel a sense of fatalism about RTÉ's future. Its treatment of a presenter who is still loved the length and breadth of Ireland, along with its handling of the payment scandal, was a devastating error of judgement. RTÉ's director general said there was a 'moral' case for Tubridy to return the money. Considering the scandal was of their own making, with disclosures of indefensible accounting and governance practices, and a propensity for decades of lavish corporate hospitality, RTÉ should be careful about highlighting what they regard as other people's morals. Ryan Tubridy at the official launch of Joe Duffy's autobiography 'Just Joe' in Dublin in 2011. File photo: Gareth Chaney Collins Grant Thornton's report absolved Ryan Tubridy of any blame. Whether he should return the remainder of the private sponsorship fee he received is a matter for him to decide. Unfortunately, the role that one individual found himself unwittingly cast into as the controversy unfolded two years ago, and how that role was sensationalised to the point where he was unjustly made out to be the villain, continues to overshadow the reality of a much greater scandal in which many of those responsible will never be punished. Two years on, the least RTÉ could do is offer Ryan Tubridy his job back. Maybe then, in the minister's own words, we can move on from it. Read More Gareth O'Callaghan: Unanswered questions haunt Philip Cairns case decades later
South Wales Argus
8 hours ago
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
Caerphilly borough councillors on council and Bedwas coal tip
In a recent statement, the leader claims the council does *not* know the proposal's precise nature. This is remarkable, as ERI, the company involved, states it met senior councillors and officers multiple times to explain plans. FOI requests confirm CCBC-ERI correspondence since 2017. More concerning, ERI's proposals were discussed at cabinet meetings on March 28, 2018, and July 12, 2023, yet minutes remain sealed. If nothing to hide, why the secrecy? A site meeting was organised to ERI's Six Bells 'reclamation' site, for council officers and Bedwas ward members, but as neighbouring Ynysddu ward councillors, we were excluded. For a project of this scale and environmental impact, such selective involvement is deeply troubling. The council's 'Declaration of Interests' reveals the former Ynysddu councillor—and former CCBC leader—knew of the project in 2018, but said nothing to residents, despite being chair of the local community partnership. Whether a lapse or deliberate omission, the public was left in the dark. Despite years of meetings, lease discussions, planning consultations, and ongoing communication between ERI and CCBC, we're now told the council can't recall project details. Is this genuine institutional forgetfulness, or convenient selective memory? The truth is, Caerphilly Council is actively negotiating a lease for ERI to access publicly owned Bedwas Tips for rent. It also participated in the Pre-Application Consultation (PAC), outlining plans to extract coal using heavy machinery from two out of four Category D tips. Under Section 19, Schedule 1 of The Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Wales) Regulations 2017, this proposal clearly fits the legal definition of opencast mining. Our community banner referring to an "opencast mine" in Sirhowy Valley Country Park was accurate, not alarmist. The public deserves straight answers, not blurred language. The council may prefer softer terms like 'reclamation' (even though only 8 per cent of the tip, the coal content, will be removed) and 'rewilding' - (despite 92 per cent of the contaminated spoil being dumped on top of the Site of Importance for Nature Conservation at Mynydd y Grug). But let's be clear: this is a major industrial development near a cherished community green space. The stakes are too high for half-truths and secret records. It's time for full transparency, genuine public consultation, and honest communication. The people of Caerphilly are watching—and they deserve better than a council with a conveniently failing memory when it matters most. Thank you, Cllrs Reed and Jones
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Photos of 12 men who became Catholic priests in the US
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference.
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Photo highlights from the second week of the Club World Cup
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference.
South Wales Guardian
a day ago
- Business
- South Wales Guardian
Government told to set out plan to tackle ‘significant challenges' with T-levels
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has called on the Government to set out its plan to tackle the 'significant challenges' that remain with rolling out post-16 T-level qualifications in England. T-levels have a 'critical role' to play in providing young people with the skills needed to address vital skills gaps across the economy, according to the report from the cross-party group of MPs. But it added that the 'success' and value for money of T-levels relies on increasing student numbers. The first T-levels were introduced in September 2020 to help meet the needs of industry and prepare students for work. The two-year courses, which are considered to be broadly equivalent to three A-levels, are being gradually rolled out in England. But the PAC report said only half of Year 9 to 11 students had heard of T-levels in 2023, and only a third of employers, who offer industry placements required to finish the T-level, are aware of them. The Department for Education's (DfE) latest forecast of 66,100 T-level starters in September 2029 is significantly more than the 25,508 students who started the qualification in September 2024, it added. The PAC also found that women and disadvantaged students are underrepresented in some T-level courses such as engineering. The MPs have called on the DfE to develop a structured plan, within six months, setting out its 'campaign approach' to increasing student awareness and enrolments in T-levels. The DfE should address how the curriculum can be tailored to appeal to a diverse student group while meeting employers' needs, they added. The PAC report warns that it has been 'unclear' to students, teachers and colleges how T-levels fit alongside other technical qualifications. It comes after the Government announced plans in December to scrap more than 200 vocational qualifications that had either no enrolments, or fewer than 100 per year over the last three years. As part of the review of post-16 qualifications, the Government said it will keep about 70% of vocational courses, including BTecs, which the previous Conservative administration had announced it would cut. Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, chairman of the committee, said: 'T-levels have the potential to be a significant force for good in equipping young people with everything they need for their burgeoning careers. 'But without the wider awareness in industry and critical mass of student enrolments, T-levels may remain very much a minority pursuit, when they could become a natural and enriching step in many students' lives.' He added: 'Government must enter campaign mode to inject life into T-Levels to build enrolments, focusing in and capitalising on local employment needs.' A Department for Education spokesperson said: 'Through our Plan for Change, this government is cementing 120,000 new training opportunities for young people in key sectors such as construction, engineering, health & social care and digital, and we are encouraged by the strong growth in awareness, uptake and positive outcomes from T Levels. 'Our recent moves to slash red tape will help support T-Levels as a high-class vocational qualification, ensuring they provide a strong, hands-on experience for students, and high-quality training opportunities to build a workforce fit for the future. 'We will consider the recommendations of the PAC carefully, to help continue to increase the number of young people benefitting from these qualifications, and set out our response in due course.'
