Local activist says RTÉ scandal is a ‘smokescreen for the government’

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A local activist and a solicitor have weighed in on the RTÉ payments scandal.

Peter Ryan, local community activist, says the RTÉ scandal is a smokescreen for the government.

His views are that government members in these committees shouldn’t be the ones questioning board members of RTÉ.

Peter is of the opinion that they are not qualified, and it will cost taxpayers money.

“The people on those committees, sitting down, questioning people, that, any of the ones sitting on either side of the table aren’t qualified to do, in my view, because that’s not what they were elected for. I’m not very happy that people are put on all these committees because they can get a Junior Minister job or a minister job. They’re getting these committee jobs as a little perk. Go through the committee members; I don’t think any of them have a legal qualification. They’re all looking for their own little bit of limelight, and it’s at our expense. The government shouldn’t be let near this because it’s costing us more.”

Meanwhile, Clonmel solicitor Kieran Cleary has labelled the presenters involvement in the RTÉ scandal as “really wrong.”

Kieran was speaking following Marty Morrissey’s revelation about the use of a car in an arrangement with Renault.

He also says he had very pleasant meetings with Ryan Tubridy over the years and followed his career.

Kieran told Tipp Today that he feels extremely let down by Tubridy’s involvement in the payments scandal.

“He took a pay rise, a substantial pay rise, during Covid. That’s really where I find, I’m really annoyed with that. Nurses, in particular, were taking their lives in their hands, going in every day and coming home, and this bloody fella was going around robbing the country. It’s wrong; it’s absolutely wrong. The way he was paid is wrong; a company cannot fiddle the books; that is wrong. That is stealing; that’s what they’re doing.”