RTE encouraged to continue reforms as latest annual report published

RTÉ has been encouraged to continue reforms as the latest annual report is published.

The national broadcaster is continuing to battle to manage costs.

The 2025 annual report states that RTÉ recorded a surplus of 22.5 million euro, an increase from the 2024 figure of 5.5 million euro.

Licence fee income in 2025 was 183.5 million euro, an increase of 5% compared to 2024 (174.3 million euro).

The wages paid to the top earners were also revealed, including director general Kevin Bakhurst (339,538 euro), deputy director general Adrian Lynch – (293,627 euro), director of operations, technology & transformation Richard Waghorn (291,160 euro), managing director of news and current affairs Deirdre McCarthy (285,063 euro), director of finance Mari Hurley (276,344 euro) and director of human resources Eimear Cusack (274,721 euro).

Meanwhile, cost of the exit of 67 members of staff in 2025 under a voluntary exit programme was 8.5 million euro.

The Government is currently supporting RTÉ with a 725 million euro package from licence fee receipts and a direct top-up from the Exchequer.

Mr Bakhurst said of the report: “2025 was the first year of our New Direction five-year strategy and we made good progress in implementing it and in rigorously managing our finances, delivering another annual surplus.

“We reduced our staff numbers through our 2025 Voluntary Exit Programme (VEP) and other departures as part of our plans to become smaller and more agile and to reduce our cost-base over the five years of the strategy.”

Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Services, Reform and Digitalisation Jack Chambers said he welcomed the transparency provided in the latest report, particularly around salaries.

“We need to see continued reforms, efficiencies, and sustainability around the wider reorganisation of RTÉ, so it’s right-sized for the future,” he said.

“It’s in that context in which government continues to evaluate RTÉ with the multi-year agreement which we’ve made, and that senior leadership team need to continue to drive that reform and efficiency agenda, and that’s what the government’s focus is to ensure that they deliver across the direction that’s been given in that context.”

Taoiseach Michael Martin made a reference to debates on RTÉ seeming to be “endless”.

“I think the wages should be reasonable, sustainable,” he said.

“I think talent needs to be at all times rewarded in terms of its contribution but the debates on RTÉ seem to be endless these days.”