RTÉ receives 325 applications for voluntary exit scheme
RTÉ has said that it received 325 applications for its Voluntary Exit Programme (VEP).
Staff members who are approved for the scheme will leave the organisation by the end of this year.
RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst said in an email to staff this evening that the "VEP comprises a Voluntary Severance (VS) and Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) scheme and was open to employees who will have completed at least two years' continuous service on the date their employment ceases".
He said that applications will be approved where "it is confirmed that the role can be suppressed or that equivalent savings can be made by suppressing an alternative post and/or redeploying an employee into that role".
Applicants will have the choice to accept or decline an offer of VS or VER.
Mr Bakhurst said a review of the applications has already commenced. He said the successful applicants will leave RTÉ on 31 October, 30 November or 31 December.
The VEP comes as part of a five-year strategy announced in 2023 where the broadcaster outlined a plan to reduce staff numbers by up to 400.
To be eligible, employees had to have completed at least two years of continuous service on the date they would leave the organisation under the scheme, with payments capped at €300,000.
Staff with between two and five years' of service will receive four weeks of pay per year of service.
Those with five to ten years' of service will receive five weeks of pay per year, and employees working with RTÉ for more than ten years will get six weeks' pay for every year of service.
The payments will be based on an employee's exit salary and they will not qualify for any further redundancy.
In an email to staff when the scheme opened, Mr Bakhurst said that while the Department of Public Expenditure had given RTÉ approval to operate a VEP this year, any future scheme could be less financially beneficial than this one.
Senior management were not eligible to apply.
The approval of a redundancy plan at RTÉ by the Government was confirmed on 28 March.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Childcare fees to be reduced to under €200 a week from September
Childcare fees for some parents will be capped at just under €200 a week under new plans unveiled by the Children's Minister. Norma Foley confirmed that this could save parents paying the highest fees €1,500 over the course of a year. She also vowed that the Government will implement €200-a-month childcare fees over the course of this Government's five-year term. A new maximum fee cap will now be introduced for all new services availing of State funding through the Core Funding scheme from this September. Under these new maximum fee caps, the highest possible fees will be no more than €295 per week for a full-day place with 40 to 50 hours per week. This will reduce costs for families who are facing the highest fees across the country in around 10 per cent of early learning and childcare providers. These fees will be reduced further by State subsidies under the National Childcare Scheme and the free, universal two-year Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) preschool programme. A parent being charged the maximum permissible fee of €295 per week for a full day place would be entitled to receive the universal National Childcare Scheme subsidy of €96.30, meaning their own payment would be no more than €198.70 per week. Higher subsidies are available for many parents, depending on their level of income and the age and number of children in early education. Ms Foley said the Government is on an "unfinished journey" to reduce the cost of childcare. The highest cost of childcare fees ranges between €300 and €325 a week, with Minister Foley arguing that the fee freeze will save parents €1,500 per child. The Programme for Government commits to introducing €200 a month childcare. Minister Foley said: "We're absolutely clear that the Programme for Government has a very clear commitment around the €200 and that is our absolute goal. "I've been very clear that we would do that over the lifetime of this government. It will be incremental. "The steps we take today, we're starting at the very top where there's an extraordinarily high cost to parents and we're beginning to bring that down." Compared to this time last year, there has been an increase in 226 providers taking part in the Core Funding model. This is despite providers threatening to pull out of the scheme because it was not meeting their increasing costs or inflation. Ms Foley announced that increased Core Funding of €390 million will be available from September.
Irish Examiner
3 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
New childcare fee cap will not benefit most parents
A new fee cap for early learning and childcare will not have a significant impact for the majority of parents, new figures show. Minister for children Norma Foley announced a maximum fee cap for new and existing services taking part in core funding. Under this, the highest possible fees will be no more than €295 per week for a full day care place that would come in at 40-50 hours a week. However, according to figures from the Department of Children, the highest average fees being paid at the moment is in the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown area of Dublin at €258. The department said the fee cap will bring fees 'closer to the average weekly fee of €197 for full day care'. The figures, released to Social Democrats TD Aidan Farrelly, show that Cork, Dublin, Kildare, Meath, and Wicklow are the only counties with a current average above €197. Mr Farrelly said that while he welcomes the announcement, the move falls short of addressing the significant issues facing families who are trying to find a place for their child or workers who do not have pay parity with their peers. The department of education said the cap will bring fees closer to the average weekly fee of €197 for full day care — but Cork, Dublin, Kildare, Meath, and Wicklow are the only counties with a current average weekly fee above €197. iStock 'In recent months, I have met with stakeholders in the early years education and childcare sector such as staff and unions, service providers, and families — who all maintain that the systemic issues facing the sector such as recruitment and retention, access and affordability will not be addressed with increases to funding in the current model,' he said. 'I have consistently asked the minister and this Government to consider establishing a cross-party special Oireachtas committee on the future of childcare and early years education to take a similar approach to Sláintecare which would map out a vision for the future of the sector having heard directly from all stakeholders.' While announcing the fee cap, as well as an increase in investment of €60m, Ms Foley said it would reduce the cost for families who are facing the highest fees across the country in around 10% of early learning and childcare providers. 'It will address some of the extreme fee disparities across the sector in a meaningful way, so that there are more consistent rates in place for families in their local area,' said Ms Foley. During the general election, there was a great deal of talk from the coalition parties, and others, about a maximum payment of €200 per child per month for early learning and childcare, a promise which Ms Foley said would be kept. 'I have been very clear that we will do that over the lifetime of this Government so it will be incremental. "Like the steps we take today, we are starting at the very top where there is an extraordinary high cost to parents and we are beginning to bring that down as we have seen over the last number of years,' said Ms Foley. The core funding scheme is now in its fourth year and despite a warning last year that there would be a mass exodus of providers, Ms Foley said there has actually been a net increase of 226 providers. Among the issues raised by frustrated providers was struggling to retain staff in a competitive labour market but it is hoped that the €45m ringfenced for the increased minimum pay rates for the sector will help to remedy this issue.
Irish Post
7 hours ago
- Irish Post
British Government must ‘honour its commitments' on Casement Park
FIRST Minister Michelle O'Neill has called on the British Government to honour its commitments on funding the redevelopment of Casement Park stadium. Out of action since 2013, the GAA grounds in Belfast are in need of a costly rebuild in order to make them fit for purpose once again. There were hopes that the site could be rebuilt in time to host matches within the upcoming Euro 2028 tournament, which is due to take place at venues across Britain and Ireland, but these were dashed last year when the British Government pulled its funding for the project, claiming there was 'significant risk' that the project would not be completed in time for the event. Despite being unable to take part in the Euro 2028 event, plans to rebuild the site are still on the table. The project has an estimated cost of £250m, just under half of which is already in place, with the Irish government pledging around £43m, the Northern Ireland Executive committing to £62.5m and the GAA lined up to provide £15m. The British Government has yet to commit to a funding sum for the project, although Chancellor Rachel Reeves is due to announce a comprehensive spending review next week which is expected to include the stadium development plans. Ms O'Neill met with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn yesterday afternoon where they discussed the project. 'Casement Park must be built,' Ms O'Neill said following the meeting. 'We've just me with the Secretary of State and we have let them know in no uncertain terms, and have done at every turn, how important Casement Park is,' she explained. 'The British Government must find a way to honour its political commitment and put their money on the table and back a project that will bring enormous benefits to everybody.' Ms O'Neill explained the importance of the stadium to the people of Northern Ireland, claiming 'the GAA is something to be celebrated, it's something that really celebrates diversity, it's something that is really at the heart of our community'. She added: 'This is a flagship project for the Executive, there is a political commitment to make this happen and to deliver upon Casement Park and I want to work with all ministers around the Executive table, with both the British government, the Irish Government and the GAA. 'Lets get this done. Let's deliver on Casement Park.' SDLP Leader Claire Hanna believes the Northern Ireland Executive should also increase the funding commitment it has made to project. Ms Hanna claims the Executive's long-standing offer of £62.5m is out of step with the growth in its own budget in the years that have passed since the offer was first made. 'The idea that a £62.5m offer still stands, unchanged, despite a dramatically increased budget, simply doesn't add up,' she said. 'This isn't about whether the money exists—it's about whether there's the will to use it,' she added. 'Let's be clear: the delay in getting Casement Park built is unacceptable. If the Executive shows its commitment through real funding, it will strengthen the case for UK investment. "But both sides need to stop passing the buck.'
