RTE has denied recent claims made by Ryan Tubridy and Noel Kelly over the ongoing secret payments scandal.
The men released statements this morning ahead of their appearances before the Oireachtas Committee. Noel has described the debacle over Tubridy's secret earnings as a mess "entirely of RTE's own making."
Meanwhile, Tubridy has refuted recent figures released by RTE regarding his earnings. The presenter has described figures showing his 2020 and 2021 salary as "untruths".
RTE has confirmed they do not accept this characterisation in a brief statement released today. It is expected these issues will be raised before the Public Accounts Committee today at 11am.
READ MORE: Ryan Tubridy and Noel Kelly face grilling over RTE payments scandal - LIVE updates
RTE wrote: "RTE rejects the claim that an incorrect version of events was presented to the Joint Oireachtas Committee and/or to the Dáil Committee of Public Accounts regarding RTE’s agreement to underwrite payments of €75,000 per contract year due to Mr Tubridy."
They added: "For clarity, the claim relates specifically to an email that was sent by the former CFO of RTE to NK Management on 20 February 2020, which is being characterised as a contractual commitment on the part of RTE to underwrite the payments in question. RTE does not accept this characterisation."
RTE maintained the email sent to Noel Kelly's Management was not legally binding. They claim it merely formed part of the discussions over Ryan Tubridy's TV and radio contract.
Ryan has also taken issue with claims he did not take a pay cut in 2020. The 50-year-old will argue today that he took a 20% pay cut from RTÉ in his 2020-2025 contract, the Irish Mirror reports.
The broadcaster will also insist that his departure from the Late Late Show was unrelated to issues surrounding his pay. Meanwhile, Noel Kelly has hit out at RTE's handling of the debacle, claiming Ryan has unfairly become its poster boy.
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