RTE's €300k lure to cut 400 staff as redundancy plan revealed with weeks to accept mega exit deals or offer gone forever

The Irish Sun

25-04-2025

RTE boss Kevin Bakhurst warned his staff that they have one month to accept a megabucks exit deal — or the offer will disappear.
The Director General was briefing employees yesterday on the broadcaster's Voluntary Exit Programme — as they look to offload 400 jobs in the next five years.
Advertisement
4
Kevin Bakhurst warned his staff they have one month to accept a megabucks exit deal
Credit: PA
4
Staff who work on Fair City fear they will be excluded from RTE's VEP
4
Willie O'Reilly has claimed that the highest earners in RTE are unlikely to apply
Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Mr Bakhurst told workers: 'It is important to bear in mind there is no guarantee that the terms offered in
Documents seen by The Irish Sun show staff who have been at the national station for two to five years will receive four weeks per year of service under the scheme.
Employees who have worked there for five to ten years will be paid five weeks per year.
And those with ten years or more service will receive six weeks per year.
Advertisement
Read more in TV
Payouts will be capped at €300,000, but senior management — RTE's Leadership Team — will not be eligible to join the scheme.
However, former Today FM boss Willie O'Reilly, who was RTE Group Commercial Director from 2012 to 2017, has claimed that the highest earners in RTE — who they need to get rid of most to save
Willie told The Irish Sun: 'There are quite a few managers in RTE on six-figure salaries doing jobs that are worth five figures.
'That's the basic problem — those people won't move, no matter what you do. I know, I tried it.
Advertisement
Most read in News TV
'You can understand it from their perspective. It's nice getting a cheque, but then you have to go out and look for work. People can get entrenched.
'This is the same old story. Often the people who leave are the ones with other opportunities — they will get a cheque for a hundred grand and then go into independent programming, or they will move house.'
Bombshell moment RTE boss Kevin Bakhurst reveals ex-CFO Breda O'Keeffe paid €450k to leave
Asked about comments from Mr Bakhurst that the generous payments offered to employees in this scheme will never be repeated, Willie said: 'Every RTE Director General says this deal is the best, and the next one won't be as good.
'That's how you get people to pay attention.'
Advertisement
The former station exec, who also worked as executive producer of the
TRUSTED PLACE WANTED
Willie added: 'The real question is, what do we want from RTE? We want a trusted place for home programmes — a commissioning type of place — if the money is going into the independent sector, like Channel 4. I think that's where it's all going.'
Mr Bakhurst addressed staff online yesterday to give details on the voluntary redundancy scheme, which opened on Wednesday.
The job cuts are required to secure a €20million bailout from the
Advertisement
This included plans to cut the workforce, limit presenters' salaries and revamp its online offerings.
Applications will close on May 23, with final decisions due in September following discussions.
STAFF BRIEFING
RTE said yesterday: "A central element in RTE's five-year strategy is to transform RTE into a more agile, efficient, modern and more streamlined organisation.
'In briefing RTE staff today, RTE Director-General Kevin Bakhurst
stated that, 'at the same time as getting smaller and leaner, we will
also make this a great place to work for our staff - investing in training and building a strong and creative culture'.
Advertisement
"He has also stated that 'in opening the Voluntary Exit Programme (VEP) we can really push on with making RTE a more efficient, more agile and future-proofed organisation which will be able to deliver great programmes to audiences for many years to come'.
'FAIR & OPEN PROCESS'
"And that 'we intend to run a fair and open process that delivers value for money for our audiences, but it is important to bear in mind that there is no guarantee that the terms offered in RTE's VEP 2025 will be available in any future RTE VEP'.
"Those who leave RTE as part of this VEP are entitled to seek employment in Ireland's independent sector, or seek other opportunities.
"RTE will not be commenting on applications or potential applications
for this Voluntary Exit Programme which is a confidential process."
Advertisement
However, one source said staff who work on
4
RTE are looking to offload 400 jobs in the next five years
Credit: Crispin Rodwell - The Sun Dublin