After Ryan Tubridy departure, Joe Duffy now RTÉ's highest paid presenter

Based on the latest figures — which were published in June and which only cover the years 2020 and 2021 — Joe Duffy is now the highest paid star, on €351,000.

Ryan Tubridy’s abrupt departure from RTÉ brings to an end his reign as the broadcaster’s highest paid star.

Whether it is as simple as everyone under him in the pay charts moving up one remains to be seen as RTÉ does not discuss its stars' salaries without their consent.

Added to that, it is invariably up to the stars themselves if they want to discuss either what they currently earn or what they earned at a certain point in their careers.

Given the uproar following the Ryan Tubridy pay scandal, there was a new and collective openness among his now former colleagues, who made a series of public statements about their fees and salaries. Picture: Colin Keegan/ Collins

Given the uproar following the Ryan Tubridy pay scandal, there was a new and collective openness among his now former colleagues, who made a series of public statements about their fees and salaries.

Based on the latest figures — which were published in June and which only cover the years 2020 and 2021 — Joe Duffy is now the highest paid star, on €351,000.

The Liveline presenter confirmed in June this year as the row over Mr Tubridy’s pay rumbled on, that he signed a four-year contract in 2019, and a two-year extension with the "exact same conditions, no changes and no increase" was agreed earlier this year.

The main bulk of his salary is for his radio work, while €51,000 is for the various TV projects he does.

The Meaning of Life with Joe Duffy season three, for example, was aired earlier this year.

Like Mr Tubridy, Noel Kelly is his agent.

Claire Byrne is currently on a salary of €280,000. Picture: Andres Poveda

Up until May 2022, Claire Byrne — the second highest-paid star at RTÉ now after Mr Duffy — was on €350,000.

But €70,000 was shaved off her salary when she decided not to continue with her Monday night TV show “for personal and family reasons”.

The cut took her salary down to €280,000, as part of a contract she said on air in June that was negotiated by Mr Kelly, who also represents Mr Tubridy and a host of other RTÉ stars.

Going entirely on the latest information published by RTÉ, the third highest paid RTÉ star is potentially Miriam O'Callaghan.

RTÉ stated in June she earned €263,500 in 2021 and a short while later, she herself stated publicly that this — and “the published fees for previous years” — was correct.

While she did not make a statement about what she currently earns, so it is not possible to say what that figure is, she also said she has “never” received additional payments from RTÉ “that were not publicly declared”.

Patrick Kielty will be paid €250,000 to host the Late Late Show from September for 30 shows

Following her is Ray D'Arcy, who does not have an agent and does his own negotiating.

Like so many other of the broadcaster’s big names, he has taken a few cuts, with his 2019 pay of €450,000 reduced to €305,000 in 2020 and 2021.

According to a statement he issued in June, his salary is now down to €250,000 a year.

This brings him on a level with Mr Tubridy’s Late Late Show replacement, Patrick Kielty.

In June, he confirmed he will be paid €250,000 to host the show from September for 30 shows and that he has signed up for three seasons.

He memorably quipped he “might need a couple of extra beers” before commenting on the scandal around his Late Late predecessor’s pay.