RTÉ have published the fees earned by its Top 10 highest-paid presenters.
The fees cover earnings for 2016 and they show a reduction of 32% when compared to fees earned in 2008.
Ryan Tubridy tops the 2016 earnings with €495,000 in fees being collected by Tuttle Productions Ltd for his services, the same as the previous year.
Ray Darcy is placed just behind Tubridy for the second year in a row, but he saw his earnings grow by €50,000 from €400,000 in 2015 to €450,000 the following year.
Joe Duffy, whose earnings have stayed steady over the two years at €389,988, completes the top three.
Other presenters in the top 10 whose earnings went up over the two years are Sean O'Rourke, whose wages rose from €290,113 to €308,964, Marian Finucane (up from €295,000 to €300,617, Claire Byrne (up from €201,500 to €216,000), and Bryan Dobson (up from €195,913 to €198,146).
RTÉ Director-General, Dee Forbes, said: “The audited figures released today for 2016 sees RTÉ maintain our commitment to reduce these earnings by 30% as compared to 2008 levels, while continuing to value the significant contribution our presenters make, and to RTÉ’s ability to optimise commercial revenue to support Ireland’s public media.
"This will continue to be an area of focus for me. Within a challenging marketplace and in the absence of meaningful funding reform, we are making significant efforts to reduce costs across the organisation, in addition to the considerable reduction in operating costs implemented since 2008.”
The State broadcaster said that the total top 10 presenter earnings for 2016 represent less than 1% of RTÉ’s total operating costs in 2016 and less than 2% of total personnel-related operating costs.
- Top 10 Highest Paid Presenters on an Earnings Basis for 2016
- Individual - Status - Rank - Fees earned €
- Tuttle Productions Ltd (For the services of Ryan Tubridy) - Contractor - 1 - 495,000
- What Next Productions Ltd (For the services of Ray Darcy) - Contractor - 2 - 450,000
- Cladaghgreen Ltd (For the services of Joe Duffy) - Contractor - 3 - 389,988
- Sean O'Rourke - Employee - 4 - 308,964
- Montrose Services Ltd (For the services of Marian Finucane) - Contractor - 5 - 300,617
- Baby Blue Productions Ltd (For the services of Miriam O'Callaghan) - Contractor - 6 - 299,000
- Derrough Media Ltd (For the services of Claire Byrne) - Contractor - 7 - 216,000
- Bryan Dobson - Employee - 8 - 198,146
- Bergauf Ltd (For the services of George Hamilton) - Contractor - 9 - 186,195
- Mary Wilson - Employee - 10 - 185,679
- Top 10 Highest Paid Presenters on an Earnings Basis for 2015
- Individual - Status - Rank - Fees earned €
- Tuttle Productions Ltd (For the services of Ryan Tubridy) - Contractor - 1 - 495,000
- What Next Productions Ltd (For the services of Ray Darcy) - Contractor - 2 - 400,000
- Cladaghgreen Ltd (For the services of Joe Duffy) - Contractor - 3 - 389,988
- Baby Blue Productions Ltd (For the services of Miriam O'Callaghan) - Contractor - 4 - 299,000
- Montrose Services Ltd (For the services of Marian Finucane) - Contractor - 5 - 295,000
- Sean O'Rourke - Employee - 6 - 290,113
- Derrough Media Ltd (For the services of Claire Byrne) - Contractor - 7 - 201,500
- Studz Entertainments Ltd (For the services of Nicky Byrne) - Contractor - 8 - 200,583
- Bryan Dobson - Employee - 9 - 195,913
- Darragh Maloney - Employee - 10 - 188,803
