How cash gap was plugged with €75k

DECEMBER 20, 2022:

Brian Stanley, the chair of the Public accounts Committee (PaC), writes to Dee Forbes requesting information about the finances of Toy Show The Musical (TSTM). Mr Stanley says the commercial risks involved in the production ‘appear to be too high’.

JANUARY 11:

rTÉ director general Dee Forbes replies to Deputy Stanley, sayings the details of costs are ‘commercially sensitive’. On the same day, a journal entry in rTÉ’s commercial department records that €75,000 was transferred from TV advertising revenue to sponsorship income for TSTM.

JANUARY 12:

The following day, an internal rTÉ email regarding TSTM revenues says it had sponsorship income of €120,000.

JANUARY 23:

an internal email within rTÉ’s finance department includes a draft income statement for TSTM dated December 31, 2022, showing a table with rows with sponsorship income totalling €120,000. The rows read €15,000 + €15,000 + €15,000 + €75,000).

JANUARY 30:

The rTÉ board’s audit and risk committee (arC), chaired by anne O’Leary, finally discusses TSTM. They are presented with a 15-page report on the production where the sponsorship was listed as €120,000.

FEBRUARY 3:

a 13-page report on TSTM is provided to the rTÉ board. it states there was event sponsorship of €120,000.

JUNE 26:

Dee Forbes resigns as the scandal emerges involving hidden payments to former Late Late Show presenter ryan Tubridy.

JULY 3:

The rTÉ board discusses TSTM.

JULY 4:

The rTÉ board and the arC meet. TSTM sponsorship income is then reduced from €120,000 to €45,000.