More than 200 people at RTÉ paid more than €100,000 a year at end of 2025

Ken Foxe

More than 200 people at RTÉ were being paid more than €100,000 per year at the end of 2025.

New figures from the broadcaster detail how 18 people were on more than €200,000 on December 31st.

Of those, 12 were in a pay band between €225,000 and €300,000 – but RTÉ declined to give any detailed breakdown of the highest earners.

It said to provide more detail could identify specific individuals, in a decision made in response to an FOI request.

There were six people who were paid between €200,000 and €225,000 and a further nine who got payments of between €175,000 and €200,000.

The figures were not broken down according to staff members or contractors, but they do include RTÉ’s highest-earning presenters.

A total of 13 people were paid between €150,000 and €175,000, while 27 were in a band between €130,000 and €150,000.

The figures also showed 24 people earned between €120,000 and €130,000.

In the range of €110,000 to €120,000, there were 59 people, and in the band between €100,000 and €110,000, there were 57.

A total of 330 people were paid salaries or fees of between €75,000 and €100,000, according to the FOI records.

Another 926 had payments that ranged from €50,000 to €75,000.

RTÉ said there were 5,944 people who were paid sums up to €50,000, with the high number explained by the inclusion of all programme contributors.

In some cases, these people might be paid less than €100 for appearing a single time on a current affairs show.

An information note said: “The reason there are so many individuals in [this] bracket arises from the fact that all programme contributors are deemed to be contractors.”

The figures were released prior to the controversy that engulfed the public service broadcaster last week.

On Thursday, it emerged that well-known presenter and producer Derek Mooney had been mistakenly excluded from RTÉ’s annual list of top ten earners.

It was also revealed that Claire Byrne and Ray D’Arcy were paid a combined €97,000 after they ceased presenting their programmes.

RTÉ’s Director General Kevin Bakhurst is expected to meet Culture Minister Patrick O’Donovan this week to explain the latest controversies.