![\"RT\u00c9's](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/88b8fc3f-2ea3-4179-9e2b-8bc3b46e32d4.jpg\")
<\/p>\nRT\u00c9 confirmed it had previously excluded presenter Derek Mooney from its yearly published top 10 highest paid presenter listMedia Patrick O\u2019Donovan asks RT\u00c9 for a breakdown of salary packages from 2020 to be prepared for a meeting on Tuesday \u2018because the box is open again\u2019RT\u00c9 Director General Kevin Bakurst says Derek Mooney\u2019s reclassification as presenter was not a side deal and \u2018justifiable\u2019\n<\/p>\n
It comes as RT\u00c9 confirmed it had previously excluded presenter Derek Mooney from its yearly published top10 highest paid presenter list as his contract said he was a producer from 2020.<\/p>\n
It now says Mooney was the 7th highest paid presenter in the organisation last year, on \u20ac202,264 \u2013 and eighth in 2024, on \u20ac197,151.<\/p>\n
The 2025 figures also revealed that RT\u00c9 continued to pay presenters Ray D\u2019Arcy and Claire Byrne even after they left the organisation in October 2025.<\/p>\n
For the remainder of the year, Mr D\u2019Arcy received \u20ac50,000 and Ms Byrne received \u20ac47,000.<\/p>\n
RT\u00c9 Director General Kevin Bakurst said the \u20ac97,000 in payments was \u201ctotally the right decision\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said RT\u00c9 wanted to take Ms Byrne off air after she said she was leaving so it could launch its new Radio One schedule, while he characterised the timeline around Mr D\u2019Arcy as \u201ceffectively his notice period\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said they had employment rights and a legal fight would have cost a \u201cshedload more\u201d.<\/p>\n
Speaking on her Newstalk programme on Friday, Ms Byrne said she wanted to address the \u201celephant in the room\u201d and said she was \u201chappy to stay on and work\u201d at the organisation until the end of her contract.<\/p>\n
\u201cI resigned from RT\u00c9 in the summer, my contract though, ran until the end of the year, December 2025,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I made it clear, I was happy to stay on and work there until the end of my contract.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut RT\u00c9 came to me and told me that they wanted me to finish up at the end of October.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was their right and their decision. So that\u2019s how that happened, from my perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Minister for Media Patrick O\u2019Donovan said his department has asked RT\u00c9 for a breakdown of salary packages from 2020 \u201cto be prepared for a meeting on Tuesday \u201cbecause the box is open again\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis morning I asked my officials to make it known to RT\u00c9 that not going back to 2020 is not an option, and by the way, that does not just focus in on Derek Mooney,\u201d he told RT\u00c9\u2019s News at One.<\/p>\n
\u201cClaire Byrne answered her part of it this morning, she said she made herself available to do work, even though she was heading out the door. She was under a contractual obligation, but the company decided not to avail of her services and we haven’t heard from the other presenter, who’s who obviously is no longer with RT\u00c9.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we’ve heard from the director generally, who said that there was contractual obligations there. It’s obviously something, that I’d like to flesh out a bit more with their representatives on Tuesday.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cI don’t want to have him as a scapegoat here. We will be looking at everything from 2020 now, to be quite frank about it, because the box is open again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve asked for a full list, a breakdown of salaries to be prepared for me for Tuesday, and that’s packages, not salaries, packages to include everything else that can be above and beyond a salary, and I think that’s what the public need at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
In regards to how RT\u00c9 reclassified Derek Mooney from producer to presenter, Mr O\u2019Donovan said: \u201cDerek Mooney has been regarded as anything other than a presenter. He was a presenter, he is a presenter, he’s always a presenter. It’s like a duck, if it walks and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut for some reason, unbeknownst to the current chairman, he was recategorised. Now, why that happened, I don’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire Byrne, who left RT\u00c9 in 2025, was paid \u20ac280,000 by the broadcaster last year, followed by Patrick Kielty on \u20ac266,323 and Miriam O’Callaghan on \u20ac244,797.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
RT\u00c9’s top ten earners in 2025<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, in regard to Derek Mooney, Mr Bakhurst has defended the broadcaster’s \u201cjustifiable\u201d decision to reclassify presenter Derek Mooney as a producer back in 2020 and said the move was not a side deal.<\/p>\n
Revealing that the discrepancy only came to light at RT\u00c9 HQ “in the last three or four weeks”, Mr Bahkhurst said he stands by the revised salary lists covering the last five years.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe actually took independent legal advice when the issue arose in the last few weeks about the decision that was taken in 2020 and the legal advice was it was a perfectly justifiable decision, given that Derek\u2019s contract is as executive producer.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Derek Mooney’s salary was understated as his earnings as a producer were not accounted for. Photo: Mark Condren<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we take a different view. We think transparency is really important and most people know Derek as a presenter, and I think we\u2019d expect him to be classified as presenter, even though I think the majority of his work is as an executive producer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked if the reclassification was a side deal to avoid pay cuts from 2020, Mr Bakhurst said: \u201cNo, I don\u2019t think it was.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2021, the RT\u00c9 pay scale dictated that producer roles could earn a maximum amount of \u20ac90,000 per year. Mr Mooney was listed last year as earning a total of \u20ac202,264, implying that the majority of his salary knowingly came from presenting duties.<\/p>\n
However, due to the Mr Mooney’s “hybrid” role of both presenter and producer between 2020 and 2024, Mr Bakhurst said that his contract covered both roles.<\/p>\n
“His salary always covered both those things, and his role changed over the years, and changed when he came off the weekday slot on RT\u00c9 One, and it changed at the moment, and he’s doing a bit more TV in the coming days,\u201d said Mr Bakhurst.<\/p>\n
When the Ryan Tubridy payments scandal hit RT\u00c9 in 2023, it was revealed that “side deals” had been struck.<\/p>\n
Consequently, presenters at the broadcaster were asked to take a 15pc pay cut. However, Mr Bakhurst denies that any such deal existed in the case of Mr Mooney.<\/p>\n
“The legal advice is that it was a perfectly rational decision to take at the time. As I say, we take a different view, because we want maximum transparency for the audience, the politicians who pay for RT\u00c9,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
![\"Claire](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/6f73a4e2-8718-4224-9647-1f1326f3fc1f.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Claire Byrne. Photo: Gerry Mooney<\/p>\n
News in 90 seconds – Thursday, May 14<\/p>\n
The development is hugely embarrassing in the wake of the separate Ryan Tubridy payments scandal.<\/p>\n
Chair of the board of RT\u00c9, Terence O’Rourke, said it is “possible” Derek Mooney could have appeared on the broadcaster\u2019s top 10 highest earners list in previous years after his earnings were retrospectively added to the 2024 rankings.<\/p>\n
Mr O\u2019Rourke said the issue only came to light in recent weeks during a review of presenter classifications prompted by an Expert Advisory Committee report into RT\u00c9\u2019s culture and governance.<\/p>\n
He said he \u201cwould prefer if this had not happened\u201d.<\/p>\n
Mr Mooney was classified as a producer rather than a presenter, Mr O\u2019Rourke told RT\u00c9\u2019s Prime Time on Thursday night that \u201cmanagement at the time made that decision\u201d.<\/p>\n
Mr O\u2019Rourke was also asked about payments made to former RT\u00c9 presenters Claire Byrne and Ray D\u2019Arcy after they had stopped their presenting duties.<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir contracts said they were contracted to present up until the end of the year, and there were different decisions made about when they would stop presenting,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we had ceased to pay them, I think we would have had some interesting solicitors’ letters. So, I think it was the right thing for the organisation to carry out. We had a choice at that stage about how to treat them, and we think it was the right and fair thing to do.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t do that, management did that, and I\u2019m happy that they made the right decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey weren\u2019t doing nothing, they were available if anything happened they would have still been on contract to present.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy job is to make sure as best we can that we look at every nook and cranny, and it takes a while to do that, we\u2019re on the journey. We have made lots of improvements, we still have more things to do, and that\u2019s my job to make sure RT\u00c9 is as best as we can make it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we did today is part of that, getting it right when we see things that need to be put right and I\u2019m not embarrassed about that at all.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a statement on Thursday evening, RT\u00c9 said: \u201cIn line with the implementation of the Government\u2019s Expert Advisory Committee\u2019s recommendations, RT\u00c9 has reconsidered what constitutes a \u201cpresenter\u201d for the purposes of compiling the Top Ten Table for 2025. RT\u00c9 has made the decision to consider all personnel holding dual roles (such as producer-presenter, or editor-presenter etc) for inclusion in RT\u00c9’s top 10 highest-earning presenters for 2025.<\/p>\n
![\"RT\u00c9's](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1778850741_592_88b8fc3f-2ea3-4179-9e2b-8bc3b46e32d4.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
RT\u00c9’s top ten earners in 2025<\/p>\n
\u201cFor clarity, in 2020 (and up to and including 2024) Derek was designated by RT\u00c9 as a producer, and not as a presenter, in line with his contract of employment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr O\u2019Rourke said: \u201cThe board supports the ongoing commitment by RT\u00c9 to transparency, as evidenced in today\u2019s announcement. We acknowledge the scrutiny brought by RT\u00c9 in preparing RT\u00c9\u2019s 2025 annual report and fully support the decision to review the previous categorisations of RT\u00c9\u2019s top ten highest-paid presenters.\u201d<\/p>\n
Director-general Kevin Bakhurst said: \u201cIn keeping with RT\u00c9’s commitment to increased transparency, we are today confirming – and publishing – our decision to include all those presenters who are in dual roles in the annual top ten presenters. As well as publishing the list for 2025, we are also re-presenting the top 10 list for 2024 for consistency and comparison purposes. The list also confirms the continued application of the RT\u00c9 pay cap for all RT\u00c9 employees at the level of pay of the director-general.\u201d<\/p>\n
Further down in the 2025 list of top ten earners revealed today were at No.4 Brendan O\u2019Connor on \u20ac239,988, followed by Ray D\u2019Arcy, who has now departed RT\u00c9, on \u20ac219,992, David McCullagh on \u20ac206,393, Darragh Maloney in eighth on \u20ac197,840, George Lee on \u20ac194,406, and D\u00e1ith\u00ed \u00d3 S\u00e9 in 10th place on \u20ac192,809.<\/p>\n
Kielty, RT\u00c9\u2019s second-highest earner last year wrapped up his third season presenting The Late Late Show two weeks ago but a deal for him to return has yet to be done.<\/p>\n
The DG\u2019s salary has a knock-on effect because he has stipulated that nobody else in Montrose can earn more than him, including the stars. Mr Bakhurst is due to get a pay rise of \u20ac20,000, taking him to \u20ac270,000, which would allow more room for manoeuvre for Kielty. It is believed that his return to hosting duties is the most likely outcome.<\/p>\n
Earlier on Thursday, the D\u00e1il Public Accounts Committee announced it would be turning its attentions again to the finances RT\u00c9, which is in receipt of a \u20ac725m bailout over three years.<\/p>\n
PAC’s interest has been piqued by 41 RT\u00c9 staffers travelling to Prague for the World Cup qualifier between Ireland and Czechia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"RT\u00c9 confirmed it had previously excluded presenter Derek Mooney from its yearly published top 10 highest paid presenter…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":961596,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[3940],"tags":[4080,77,105253,31952,16,15],"class_list":["post-961595","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-celebrities","tag-celebrities","tag-entertainment","tag-fionnan-sheahan","tag-rte","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116578769579117327","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/961595","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=961595"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/961595\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/961596"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=961595"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=961595"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=961595"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}