Changes proposed under a new RTÉ plan could see a race to the bottom for workers conditions, a TD has warned.

The national broadcaster has set out a five-year plan which would see production of Fair City and The Late Late Show move away from its Montrose base in Dublin.

It would see increased investment towards the RTÉ Player and the development of an audio streaming app.

RTÉ also aims to cut 400 jobs over the next five years as part of a voluntary redundancy programme with the first phase set to begin 'imminently'.

It's part of plans to secure a €20 million bailout from the Government.

RTÉ National Union of Journalists (NUJ) Chair Chair Trevor Keegan earlier told Newstalk moving production off-site is effectively privatisation.

"It's staff that are suffering the brunt of problems that they did not cause," he said.

"We have serious reservations about the plans and some of the vague language around those plans.

"Moving off-site in our eyes that's out-sourcing and, to some degree, privatisation of some programmes."

An RTÉ logo at the station's Donnybrook headquarters, 26-6-23. Image: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

Public Accounts Committee Chairman Brian Stanley told The Pat Kenny Show lower-paid workers could be the most affected.

"The concern here that I'd have is if it's going to be funded directly... will the public be paying for a station that would largely be outsourced with a race to the bottom in terms and conditions for workers?" he said.

"I'm thinking particularly of those workers who have been on short-term contracts, who have been on a bogus self-employment contract - the lower-paid workers in RTÉ.

"Are they the first ones to face the chop, because that's normally what happens in organisations when there's cuts to be made?"

Outsourcing and costs

Deputy Stanley is questioning if off-site production would actually save money.

"What we do know as well if you take for example other services that have been outsourced - either through local authorities or public bodies - they didn't actually wind up costing less in the long-term," he said.

"The National Health System in Britain, and indeed some local examples in this country, have shown that.

"But at the end of the day that's a matter for the unions and management to thrash out".

Deputy Stanley added he'd be concerned "from a public accounts point of view and politically" that terms and conditions for workers would drop.

Main image: Split-screen shows Public Accounts Committee Chairman Brian Stanley and RTÉ logos at its Donnybrook headquarters