Pat Kenny was RTÉ’s top earner in 2007 and 2008, according to RTE’s long awaited salaries for its top 10 staff.
In total, the top earners - just two of whom are actually RTÉ staff members - were paid more than €8.5 million over the two-year period. The other eight are paid as contractors.
Kenny earned €950,976 in 2008 and €922,949 in 2007, the figures which were released this evening.
Gerry Ryan, who caused controversy with his initial refusal to take a 10 per cent pay cut earlier this year, saw his salary fall between 2007 and 2008 from €676, 354 to €629,865.
Marian Finucane, who presents a weekend show on RTÉ Radio 1 was the broadcaster’s third highest paid staff member last year earning €570,000 up from €470,000 in 2007.
New Late Late Showpresenter Ryan Tubridy earned €533,333 last year reflecting his status as a rising star in the broadcaster. He earned €366,867 in 2007.
Livelinepresenter Joe Duffy, whose show has been a forum for the public to vent their anger at politicians' pay and expenses, was RTE's fifth highest paid presenter earning €408,889. He earned €377,648 in 2007.
Derek Mooney, who presents the Mooney programme on afternoon weekdays on RTE Radio earned €286,809 in 2008 and €288,833 in 2007.
Mooney is one of just two RTÉ staffers on the list, the other being News at Onepresenter Seán O'Rourke.
O'Rourke earned €218,656 in 2008, down from €232,820 the previous year.
Eamon Dunphy, the sixth highest earner in 2008 was paid €328,051, up from €285,915 in 2007 when he was eighth on the list.
George Hamilton, who did not appear on the list in 2007, was last year's ninth highest RTÉ earner at €219,833.
John Kelly, who was 10th highest earner in 2007 at €215,636, does not appear on the list for last year.
In a statement, RTÉ said the top 10 earners for 2009 will be 11.5 per cent lower than in 2008 and when fees come for renewal in the current year, RTÉ has set new contract fee levels at a point “far below what has applied in the recent past”.
Pat Kenny issued a lengthy statement on his contractual arrangements with RTE.
He said he had not commented on the matter in the past because he believed it to be "private commercially sensitive information".
Kenny said cumulative reductions in his fee, including voluntary pay pay cuts, amounted to more than one third of his contracted sum, reducing it to €630,000, or to 2002 levels.
"In addition I agreed to extend my working year on television from 38 to 46 weeks, and to present radio programmes during the Summer months where previously I was on holiday.
"I am satisfied that the significant reduction in the fees paid to my company takes account of current economic circumstances while also reflecting my experience over 37 years in broadcasting at RTE," Kenny said.
Fine Gael communications spokesman Simon Coveney said the figures were "rubbing salt in the wound" of the many people who had lost their jobs or taken significant pay cuts in an effort to achieve wage restraint.
"While, I recognise that RTÉ staff has agreed to pay cuts, it is difficult to justify a wage bill for €4.5 million for 2008 for their top 10 earners," he said.
"What is totally unacceptable is that RTÉ are dealing with people on a long term contract basis and so are tied in to very large pay deals to broadcasters who are not employees of RTÉ but who are contracting their services to an independent company."
"These companies have negotiated wage deals in times of plenty that RTÉ are still required to pay as advertising revenues plummet. For RTÉ management to be relying on voluntary pay cuts is an absolute nonsense when it's the public's money at stake."
Mr Coveney said an assurance was needed from RTÉ that it could in future guarantee flexibility in all contracts to ensure people were not overpaid.
Labour Party communications spokeswoman Liz McManus said the salaries appeared "extravagant".
"In these straitened times we need to get real about high earnings, across the board. Public servants at very senior level, Government ministers and media personalities, cannot be paid out of the public purse at such a high level while other people are struggling keep their homes and their jobs."
She said it was disappointing that the figures were released in the way that they were, and were "slipped out at a time when they would receive minimum attention".
"This information should be easily available and there should be no question of concealing it or making it in any way inaccessible. This is licence-payers' money after all."
"Up to now these figures have been published in the RTÉ annual report, but the figures were generally two years out of date and I welcome the fact that this year, this has been remedied."
Siptu said it was is concerned at the earnings levels.
''Earlier this year other employees took pay cuts of between five per cent and 12 per cent to help the national broadcaster weather the current economic storm.''
''While acknowledging that some of these high fliers offered to take voluntary cuts in their contracts it is unclear from the figures published to date, if any reductions occurred to match those of their lower paid colleagues.
Siptu would expect the station to publish figures in this regard and also to indicate that as contracts come up for renewal cuts will be introduced on a proportionate and commensurate basis to order to ensure some degree of equity in the cost cutting process.''