RTÉ to launch voluntary redundancy scheme and publish register of interests early next year - Bakhurst

RTÉ will share details of its “initial and limited” voluntary exit programme near the end of January, the broadcaster’s director general Kevin Bakhurst told staff on Tuesday.

The organisation is seeking 40 departures under this scheme as part of planned cutbacks totalling €10 million in 2024, though it has also flagged that it expects 400 people to leave RTÉ by 2028.

In a Christmas message to employees, Mr Bakhurst said RTÉ aims to publish its new register of interests and register of external activities as well as the salaries and fees received by its 10 highest-paid presenters in 2022 “early in the new year”.

The two new registers are “part of our efforts to ensure greater governance across RTÉ”, he said.

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He also confirmed that RTÉ expects to publish two outstanding reports on the failure of Toy Show the Musical and its 2017 and 2021 voluntary exit programmes in “early January”.

The RTÉ board commissioned accountants Grant Thornton to examine the failure of Toy Show the Musical after the hidden payments scandal at RTÉ heightened political attention on the operation of financial controls more generally at the broadcaster. The musical incurred a €2.2 million loss last Christmas.

This review – dubbed GT3 – follows two previous reports by Grant Thornton on payments to former Late Late Show presenter Ryan Tubridy.

Mr Bakhurst separately commissioned solicitors McCann FitzGerald to examine how RTÉ's voluntary exit programmes in 2017 and 2021 were handled.

RTÉ last published a list of its top 10 highest-paid presenters in February this year, with the figures relating to 2020 and 2021. However, Mr Tubridy’s pay was understated for both years, with RTÉ admitting in June that it had under-declared his earnings since 2017.

Since his departure, RTÉ's top earner is Liveline presenter Joe Duffy, who is paid €351,000 and agreed a two-year extension to his contract earlier this year.

The director general told employees that RTÉ would also continue “important discussions” with the Government about funding reforms and provide further detail on how it plans to manage its costs in 2024, a year that includes the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the Euro 2024 football tournament and multiple elections.

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