RTÉ paid its ten highest earning broadcasters more than €3.2m last year.
Ryan Tubridy remains the broadcaster’s highest paid presenter, earning €495,000 a year.
Ray D’Arcy, Joe Duffy, Sean O’Rourke and the late Marian Finucane complete the top five – earning between €358,000 and €450,000.
There are four women in the top ten with Miriam O’Callaghan and Claire Byrne in sixth and seventh on the list, while Mary Wilson comes in at number 10.
- Ryan Tubridy: €495,000
- Ray Darcy €450,000
- Joe Duffy: €392,494
- Sean O’Rourke: €327,988
- Marian Finucane: €358,013
- Miriam O’Callaghan: €320,000
- Claire Byrne: €250,000
- Brendan O’Connor: €220,000
- Bryan Dobson: €209,282
- Mary Wilson: €196,961
In a statement, the broadcaster said it reduced the earnings of its top presenters by 15% last year - and noted that the ten wages represent less than 1% of its total operating costs.
RTÉ Director General Dee Forbes said: “Our presenters have been crucial to RTÉ’s output throughout this pandemic, as audiences turned to their national public media in record numbers for vital news, information, entertainment and companionship.
“They continue to make a significant contribution to public media in Ireland and enable RTÉ to optimise important commercial revenue, which is essential to support our public services.”
She said RTÉ has reduced its annual operating costs by over €100m since 2008 and is on target to deliver savings of €60m over three years.
“In that context, we continue to keep the fees of our highest-paid presenters under constant review,” she said.
In late 2019, the Government confirmed that RTÉ would receive an extra €50m in State funding over five years to ease its financial troubles.
