Ryan Tubridy clashes with Sinn Féin deputy in heated Oireachtas exchange

Things are getting heated in the Oireachtas meeting.

Sinn Féin TD Imelda Munster and Ryan Tubridy exchanged a heated back and forth at the Public Accounts Committee meeting this morning. Munster was first up with her comments and questioning Tubridy about a 2019 interview around a St Vincent de Paul appeal where he said he would “graciously” accept a pay cut as he was haunted by child poverty. She then went on to ask how that linked with Tubridy getting an additional payment of €75,000 in the tripartite agreement with Renault, which essentially filled in any pay cut he was receiving.

"I would urge you, Deputy, not to conflate someone being well paid to someone who does not have a conscience"

Ryan Tubridy getting feisty... then apologising Getting testy here in the hearing ? pic.twitter.com/6NepD5zaVb — JOE.ie (@JOEdotie) July 11, 2023

Sinn Fein TD and Ryan Tubridy in heated exchange

"We know that that pay cut was subsidised," Munster said. Tubridy then fired back, rejecting the comments saying he would not "characterise it" that way and urged the deputy not to "conflate someone who is well paid to a person with no conscience." Upon Munster firing back about simply quoting what Tubridy had said in the media, the presenter tried to interject a number of times before apologising to the TD. Noel Kelly, Tubridy's agent interjected, saying, "This is nothing about pay-cuts, this is a separate commercial deal. The guarantee was around [to pay Tubridy] that another sponsor would come in [and take up a similar arrangement]." "If RTÉ paid [Renault], that has absolutely nothing to do with us." Committee chair Brian Stanley then advised Kelly not to interrupt. "I was always under the impression that that money was from Renault," Ryan Tubridy said. Follow all the Oireachtas committee hearings from 11 am - featuring Ryan Tubridy's appearance - in our live news feed.

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