Más de 300 personas solicitaron el despido voluntario en RTÉ el año pasado

More than 300 people applied for voluntary redundancy at RTÉ last year, according to the public broadcaster’s 2025 annual report. However, only 67 were made redundant, with the cost of exit packages reaching €8.5 million. The report also revealed that RTÉ has been actively reducing its workforce as part of broader restructuring efforts aimed at becoming “smaller and more agile.” These measures are part of a three-year additional funding plan agreed upon with the Government, which includes a total public funding package of €725 million over the period 2025–2027. RTÉ recorded a surplus after tax of €22.5 million in 2025, marking a significant increase from the €5.5 million surplus in 2024. The broadcaster attributed this improvement to strategic decisions, including the deferral of certain projects until 2026. Additionally, RTÉ noted that it had released funds previously earmarked for personnel and operating costs, contributing to the improved financial position. The total public funding received by RTÉ in 2025 amounted to €224.8 million, comprising €183.5 million in licence fee funding and €41.3 million in additional government support. The decline in TV licence fees continued, with a 3% reduction in the number of licences sold compared to 2024. A total of 768,657 licences were sold in 2025, down from 792,243 in 2024. Despite this, RTÉ reported an increase in licence fee income, which reached €183.5 million, a 5% rise from the previous year. This growth was partly due to an increase in income from the Department of Social Protection related to “free TV licences,” which waive the €160 annual fee for older people or those on social welfare, funded by the state. RTÉ’s commercial revenue remained stable, increasing slightly to €158.6 million in 2025, compared to €158.1 million in 2024. Advertising and sponsorship revenue across TV, radio, and the RTÉ Guide totaled €121.1 million, aligning with the 2024 figure of €121.3 million. However, TV-specific advertising and sponsorship income saw a slight decline, dropping to €81.3 million from €84.9 million in 2024. Radio and digital advertising and sponsorship revenue rose, increasing from €36.1 million to €39.5 million. RTÉ’s voluntary exit programme (VEP) played a central role in its restructuring strategy. The first round of the VEP saw 67 staff members leave the organization, costing the broadcaster €8.5 million in exit packages. The average payout per employee was around €127,000. Another 30 roles were “suppressed,” meaning they were eliminated without formal redundancy processes. RTÉ estimated that these changes would lead to annualized savings of €8.4 million. As of the end of 2025, an additional 58 employees had left under the VEP, bringing the total number of departures to 97. The broadcaster currently employs 1,801 full and part-time staff, a decrease from 1,826 at the end of 2024. The report also highlighted ongoing issues related to past financial controversies. RTÉ had set aside €16.5 million at the end of 2025 to cover the cost of an investigation into “bogus self-employment” cases, where workers were incorrectly classified as contractors and missed out on employee benefits. The broadcaster paid €3.6 million to the Department of Social Protection and the Revenue Commissioners in connection with this issue. In addition, RTÉ acknowledged that it had continued to claim the Covid wage subsidy scheme beyond the point at which it should have stopped, leading to an audit by the Revenue Commissioners. To date, the broadcaster has made cumulative payments of €1.5 million in response to this audit. RTÉ’s leadership team, including director general Kevin Bakhurst, dominated the list of the highest-paid employees. Bakhurst, who earns €339,538 annually, including €62,500 in pension payments and €25,000 in allowances, reiterated that no one within the organization would be paid more than his own salary. His statement reflects a policy introduced following the payments scandal, which led to a cap on executive salaries. Deputy director general Adrian Lynch ranked second on the list, with total earnings of €293,627. Other senior managers, including Richard Waghorn, Deirdre McCarthy, and Mari Hurley, also featured prominently among the top earners. Notably, Claire Byrne, a former RTÉ presenter, was the only on-air talent to appear in the top 10 earners list. She was paid €280,000 through her company Derrough Media. Although she left RTÉ at the end of 2025, she still received €47,000 for the last two months of the year. Bakhurst defended this payment, stating that Byrne was available to work until January 2026 and that RTÉ wanted to launch a new schedule. Similar payments were made to Ray D’Arcy, who was compensated nearly €50,000 after leaving RTÉ Radio 1 on 9 October. RTÉ’s leadership team has also undergone changes, with several executives resigning or moving to new roles. Mari Hurley, the chief financial officer, left the organization after 18 months, while others, such as Steve Carson and Patricia Monahan, took on new positions. The creation of the chief risk and compliance officer role was recommended by an independent review of RTÉ’s governance and culture. Eleanor O’Shaughnessy, who holds this position, received a partial annual salary of €75,961 in 2025. Looking ahead, RTÉ plans to implement a second voluntary exit scheme later this year, aiming to continue its efforts to reduce the workforce by up to 400 people between 2025 and 2030. The broadcaster remains focused on maintaining financial stability amid challenges in the advertising market and declining TV licence sales.