RTÉ publishes list of top 10 earners for 2022 led by Tubridy, Duffy and Byrne

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA

RTÉ has published the earnings of its 10 highest-paid presenters for 2022.

The top 10 presenters list is to be published annually following a controversy last year when RTÉ admitted to misstating the fees it paid to its star presenter, Ryan Tubridy.

Tubridy, who has begun a new radio show on UK station Virgin Media, earned €515,000 in 2022.

#Breaking RTÉ releases list of top ten on-air earners for 2022 with Ryan Tubridy, Joe Duffy and Claire Byrne among its highest paid https://t.co/z8p3Q0UbJy

— RTÉ News (@rtenews) January 29, 2024

Liveline presenter Joe Duffy was the second-highest earner, on €351,000; Claire Byrne earned €320,833; Miriam O’Callaghan earned €263,500 and Ray D’Arcy received €250,000.

Presenter Brendan O’Connor earned €245,004; Bryan Dobson, who announced he is to retire this year, was on €209,681; Morning Ireland presenter Mary Wilson received €197,643; sports presenter Darragh Maloney earned €184,501; and environment correspondent George Lee was paid €179,821.

RTÉ said the cost of its highest earning presenters represents less than 1 per cent of its total operating costs.

RTÉ deputy director-general Adrian Lynch said: “Today we are publishing the total earnings from RTÉ by our highest-paid presenters for 2022, along with the restated earnings for 2021.

“As previously confirmed by Kevin Bakhurst, going forward, details of RTÉ’s highest-paid presenters will be published annually as part of RTÉ’s annual report, starting with RTÉ’s 2023 annual report, which will be published later this year.

“While RTÉ has committed to reducing the cost of its highest-paid presenters to ensure that no contractors or employees will earn more than the director-general, our presenters play an important role in RTÉ’s provision of vital news, information and entertainment to audiences right across the country and enable us to generate commercial revenue which is essential to fund RTÉ’s public services.”