RTÉ reduces staff by 95 in 2025 with aim of 400 departing over next five years

Vivienne Clarke and PA

RTÉ has reduced its headcount by approximately 95 this year, through 65 voluntary exits and around 30 resignations and retirements.

The broadcaster had set a target to reduce its headcount by 400 over five years.

RTÉ’s director general, Kevin Bakhurst, told the Oireachtas Media Committee on Wednesday that there had been 308 applications for voluntary redundancy and 107 offers had been made.

He said 65 of those offers had been accepted and three remain outstanding, leaving an acceptance rate of over 60 per cent.

In addition, RTÉ has suppressed 30 roles through resignations and retirements.

Mr Bakhurst said the organisation remained hopeful of reaching 100 exits by the end of the year.

“The savings from those voluntary exits so far will be €6.2 million per annum. So over a five-year strategy, that’s around €30 million.

“Obviously, the savings from the suppressions will be, so far, €2.4 million per annum. So obviously that’s upwards of €10 million over the five-year strategy.”

Minister for arts culture and media, Patrick O’Donovan has said that RTÉ was “clearly too big".

“The taxpayers and the license payers of Ireland deserve an awful lot better than what they got, and we deserve to see the progress that has been made in RTE continued,” he told RTÉ radio’s News at One.

“And some people might call that hollowing out, I call it rationalisation. The organisation is clearly too big, it needs to be made smaller, it needs to be made more fit for purpose, it needs to be modernised, and it needs to have a greater level of energy attached to the modernisation project, because to be quite honest about it, there is no plan B.

"If this doesn't work, there is no other crock of gold at the end of the RTÉ rainbow.”

Meanwhile, RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst has said he has not applied for the top job at the BBC.

BBC director-general Tim Davie announced in November that he would be stepping down.

Asked on Wednesday if he would be applying for the job, Mr Bakhurst said: “I don’t think I can leave because Marty Morrissey has told me I’m not allowed to.”

Later pressed on whether he would commit to staying at RTÉ for the duration of his contract, Mr Bakhurst said: “Look, I haven’t applied and I’m very happy doing this job, that’s all I can say.”

He joked again in reference to his friendship with RTÉ commentator Mr Morrissey: “But Marty’s (view) is obviously more important than my view on it.”