RTÉ stars ‘insulated’ from reality of significant pay cuts

RTÉ’s top stars who have been “insulated” from the reality of significant pay cuts had Celtic Tiger-era salaries that were at an “absolutely ridiculous” level.

The claim was made by members of the Oireachtas communications committee during a meeting with senior management from the State broadcaster yesterday.

Speaking at a three-hour discussion on a raft of issues affecting the station, RTÉ director general Noel Curran and deputy director general Kevin Bakhurst stressed “top talent” have taken 15-20% cuts.

However, despite the reduction in the highly controversial pay packets, which during the height of the boom meant some presenters were receiving close to €1m a year, TDs said not enough has been done to lower rates.

Hitting out at the salaries to current stars, Fine Gael TD for Limerick Patrick O’Donovan, said some presenters are still being paid “too much”.

Referring to radio star Marian Finucane, who despite seeing her salary halved since 2011 still earns close to €300,000 a year, the backbencher said it is highly questionable to have a pay packet “two or three times more than a minister” whose expenses she is querying.

“It seems there is an insulation among some personalities. They may have taken 15-20% pay cuts, but that’s not the point. The baseline figures they were on before were absolutely ridiculous.”

The comment was supported by other committee members, who said the payment levels for people RTÉ referred to as “top talent” are still out of sync with widespread cutbacks at the broadcaster.

However, defending the situation, Mr Curran said improvements have been made. The senior official said, despite the “difficulty” in discussing pay cuts with high-profile presenters and the risk of them following Pat Kenny in leaving for rival stations, the majority of those involved have accepted the need to reduce costs.

RTÉ’s director general said the ongoing spotlight on the station’s top salaries was a by-product of being a taxpayer-funded public broadcaster.

Meanwhile, in a sign of the cuts that are in place at lower levels within RTÉ, Mr Bakhurst confirmed the broadcaster’s team covering the ongoing crisis in Crimea involved “one presenter and one camera-man” at any one time. “I understand the BBC had 75.”