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RTÉ PRESENTERS RYAN Tubridy, Joe Duffy and Ray D’Arcy could all be in line for significant pay-cuts after the broadcaster announced widespread cuts at the company.
Last night, a lengthy statement detailing the extent of the cuts was sent to newsrooms across the country, after the news was leaked to the Irish Times.
The national broadcaster revealed details of the plan yesterday evening which will see 200 jobs cut next year as part of a major restructuring plan that will seek to reduce costs by €60 million over three years.
The plans will also see the pay of its top contracted on-air presenters cut by 15%.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland today, RTÉ Director General Dee Forbes said many of the contracts for the broadcaster’s top earners were “put in place when RTÉ was in a very different place.
“The organisation is in a very, very challenging place right now and we simply cannot afford to pay people what we have been paying them,” said Forbes.
Forbes said that RTÉ’s top contracted presenters earn €3 million between them and that 15% – €450,000 – will be cut off that total figure.
Those facing potential salary cuts at RTÉ include Late Late Show host Tubridy, the highest earning presenter at the company, who earned €495,000 in 2016.
The broadcaster’s other top presenters include Ray D’Arcy, who earned €450,000 in 2016 and Liveline presenter Joe Duffy – also a contractor – who was the third highest earner in 2016, taking in €389,988.
Marian Finucane made €300,617 through her company Montrose Services in 2016.
Miriam O’Callaghan, who earned €299,000 in 2016 through her company Baby Blue Productions, is also among RTÉ’s top earners alongside sports broadcaster George Hamilton and presenter Claire Byrne, who earned €186,195 and €216,000 in 2016 respectively.
It’s not yet clear which of RTÉ’s top-earners will face pay-cuts and to what extent their salaries will be reduced. Forbes said this morning that RTÉ still needs to work out details of the plan.
RTÉ said the 15% reduction is in addition to cuts of “over 30% agreed in previous years”.
‘Cuts’
Under cut-back plans, Lyric FM is to be retained but its production moved from Limerick to Cork and Dublin.
The broadcaster confirmed in a statement last night that it will close its Digital Audio Broadcast network as well as RTÉ’s digital radio stations, including RTÉ Gold and stations like 2XM and RTÉ Pulse.
RTÉ executives are to take a 10% reduction in pay and the board of RTÉ will “waive its fees”.
As well as a reduction in staff numbers of about 200 next year, other staff-related savings are to be found.
Forbes addressed the situation on RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland this morning, speaking to presenter Brian Dobson.
Dobson asked why a statement regarding the cuts, which was ready to be published, was held back.
Forbes said the plan was ready to go, however it was put on hold due to the death of Gay Byrne.
The full statement was released by RTÉ last night after the Irish Times broke the story.
“Our priority, of course, in any situation is to inform our staff first,” Forbes explained.
“We were ready to go with this plan, but unfortunately this week we had very sad news when … Gay Byrne passed away,” she said.
So, we decided not to go public this week, and we were pushing to next week.
“Unfortunately, the information leaked, and last night the Irish times went with the story,” she said.
Forbes said her priority was to “get to staff” as quickly as possible and not to have a gap in information.
RTÉ management are due to meet with staff and union representatives later today.
RTÉ has said it will work to reduce staff costs by consulting with staff and unions “on a number of initiatives, to include pay freeze, tiered pay reductions, review of benefits, work practice reforms”.
In a statement last night, RTÉ said that licence fee evasion rates in Ireland are among the highest in Europe and is “costing jobs”.
The station says that between people who evade their TV licence fee and those who just watch RTÉ programming on the RTÉ player, “over €50 million is lost to public broadcasting every year”.
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There’s an awful lot of this happening the past week or maybe it’s just that its being reported on. Hope the staff recover soon :)
How the hell does one make a get away from the blanch centre? I have never managed to get away from it in less than twenty minutes! Hope the chap is ok
Sc um bags.
Not much use to the guys who took the cash as they will have dye packs that will explode after s couple of minutes hope it blinds the snackers!
They can change the money in the cash machines in the likes of the leisure plex. Machines can pick up on the dye.
Nope my friend its easily removed place the cash box in hot water with loads of colour catcher and bleach, dye is removed from all notes apart from fivers because they are a low quality note … I’m sure this comment will be removed but it a fact !
Was he not wearing his company issue helmet ?
That probably why his injuries arent serious..
So helmet will take full impact of axe or iron bar across the head? ?
I love the level of intelligence on many commentators.
Wish the man a speedy recovery
Where does it say “Axe” in the story?
Where did the not say axe or iron bar?. Your hardly gonna hold up a security van with a foot long floppy rubber dildo are you?
Rumour has it they don’t wear them anymore as they had issues from being blindsided when being robbed. Hope they guy is ok dangerous work for little money.
Gaurdian
I asked a relevant question, i didnt make a statement, as for the helmet, i have seen more CIT staff with no helmet carrying boxs of cash in and out of busines’s and ATM machines than i have seen with a helmet. So if he was not wearing it, and i repeat, “not wearing” it then his trip to the hospital might well have been avoided, on a seperate issue who are you to pass judgement on my level of inteligence, did you notice the question mark at the end of my original question, this indicates i was asking a question, and you dont say ” I love the level of intelligence on many commentators” the correct grammer is “I love the level of intelligence of many commentators”
Did they shout “YOU WILL NOT TAKE OUR FREEDOM!!” before or after the robbery?
Dorry John for getting your back on the level of your common sense. Which would kind of lead you to the common sense conclusion that policy would be they wear P.P.E out of secure van. Oh apologies thats personal protective equipment. Standard for health and safety reasons and regardless of rumour must be worn.
So again I say the level of intelligent input in this site is sadly lacking at times. Thank you so very much for pointing that out.
Also grammatically you will have to take that up with the lovely auto correct system designers for Samsung.
Sorry *** case in point about auto correction
Also should be *******getting your back up******
@John Meade. Grammar not grammer.
how blanch Security didn’t spot the two guys with all the cameras they have. The two men were hiding in the bushes net to that atm, when the van pulled up they go out and attacked. I am sure some people seen the guys in the bushes but didn’t think twice about them.
Yrs ago I was arriving at the centre on a bus and I seen a car parked up on the path outside the post office doors with 4 men sitting inside .. U could clearly see them dressed in black with balaclavas and a gun .. How security didn’t go to check why the car was parked up on the path that far in is strange … They need to get proper security gaurds !
guys with guns with nothing to lose, a security guard unarmed with everything to lose, they made the right choice, why would they risk their life for money thats insured
They are too busy harassing teenagers and acting like Hartman .. Wana be coppers
I didn’t mean I expectd them to approach them with guns , my point was that the security did notice them in the first place .. Which shouldn’t have been hard as we’re the car was is a footpath in from the road a bit should have been easily noticed and it wasn’t !
Just driving the 7 min drive home and saw eight “02 D” black BMWs. Wonder which one it was…
I was in the UK recently, I noticed G4S staff there wearing helmets & body armour/stab vest? I wonder why they don’t supply them for their staff here…I don’t think Dublin is any less dangerous than London? Anyway, hope the security guy has a speedy recovery. Tough job.
I was in the UK recently, I noticed that G4S staff there wear helmets & body armour/stab vests. I wonder why they don’t provide them for their staff here in Ireland? I don’t think Dublin is any less dangerous. Anyway, I hope the security guy has a speedy recovery. Tough job.
Did someone say stroked jammer?
well said Aaron
have your say