Dáil committee hears 'concerns' about high pay of RTÉ stars

'Most people would find the salaries of the top 10 earners at RTÉ to be outrageous given the massive public funding that RTÉ receives' the Public Accounts Committee heard

Ryan Tubridy, Ray D'Arcy and Joe Duffy are among the top earners in RTÉ.

The level of pay being paid to top RTÉ talent is "a concern", a Dáil committee has heard.

Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy made the comment in a Dáil Public Accounts Committee session with secretary-general of the Department of Communications Mark Griffin, which touched on a number of issues, including RTÉ, the National Broadband Plan and An Post.

Ms Murphy questioned Mr Griffin on the status of the RTÉ-commissioned report on the working status of some of its talent.

"We have had RTÉ highlighting that it is strapped for cash. It is a concern that there appears to be substantial money laid out for some of its employees, while I recognise that they are not employees and that most of them are self-employed. 

"Obviously, not all RTÉ employees would be on those kinds of salaries, and this was highlighted during the week, but there is an issue."

Mr Griffin said the report identified "question marks over 157 staff".

News at One presenter Bryan Dobson is among RTÉ's top 10 earners. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Yesterday's meeting of the committee also heard that Mr Griffin "regrets" the delay in publishing RTÉ's annual reports. The broadcaster on Wednesday released the reports along with details of its highest earners. 

The timing of the move, coinciding with the inauguration of Joe Biden as US President, was criticised during the week.

Sinn Féin TD Imelda Munster asked Mr Griffin about the delay in releasing the figures, which she said RTÉ had committed to doing yearly. Mr Griffin said responsibility for the broadcaster had transferred out of his department in September, but he apologised if they had been delayed in his time as secretary-general.

"If they should have been published in my time as secretary-general, where I have responsibility for the functions, then I can only apologise for the fact that they were not and that we did not put the necessary pressure on RTÉ for their submission at an earlier date."

Claire Byrne was among RTÉ's top 10 earners in 2019. Picture: Andres Poveda

Mr Griffin said he could not comment on the scale of the salaries of RTÉ's highest earners as it is a commercial entity, but Ms Munster questioned if the highest-profile names were giving value for money.

"Most people would find the salaries of the top 10 earners at RTÉ to be outrageous and, given the massive public funding that RTÉ receives, a lot of members of the public would find it unjustifiable, which I suppose is a term that people use.

There was a presenter with a weekend show and RTÉ was seeking a sponsor for that show for more than a year. I think the amount involved in the sponsorship deal was €195,000 but the presenter's salary was in the region of €220,000. 

"If one compares that salary to the loss of sponsorship, one can probably assume the figures were more or less the same. Obviously, we have not seen value for money recognition but can we expect to see value for money in the 2020 figures vis-à-vis the salaries of the top stars?"

Meanwhile, the Fair Deal scheme, which provides financial support to people who need long-term nursing home care, has “serious operational deficiencies" due to a lack of an integrated financial and procurement management system.

The finding is made in a report published on Friday by the committee, which examined the Comptroller and Auditor General's earlier report on the scheme.