RTÉ refuses to disclose salaries of senior executives

RTÉ HAS refused to disclose under freedom of information legislation the salaries paid to top executives working for chief executive Cathal Goan.

However, the State-run station has released information about the salary bands paid to senior post-holders. This shows that 27 executives in RTÉ are earning €100,000 or more annually, not including pension contributions, bonuses and other benefits.

Mr Goan is the only senior manager whose salary is publicly disclosed; according to RTÉ’s annual report for 2006, it stood at €269,000 a year, plus €44,000 in performance-related pay, €22,000 in pension contributions and €26,000 in other benefits.

In a response to a freedom of information request, the station said Mr Goan and two other executives earn between €250,000 and €300,000 a year.

One person has a salary between €200,000 and €250,000, nine people have salaries between €150,000 and €200,000 and 14 have salaries between €100,000 and €150,000.

Some 37 others occupying senior managerial positions earn less than €100,000 a year.

Although not named, the top earning executives are almost certainly members of RTÉ’s executive board. Apart from Mr Goan, this comprises chief financial officer Conor Hayes, managing director (news and current affairs) Ed Mulhall, managing director (radio) Adrian Moynes, managing director (television) Noel Curran and director of communications Bride Rosney.

Freedom of information officer Peter Feeney said it was not RTÉ policy to publish details of individuals’ salaries other than the remuneration of the 10 highest paid presenters. Mr Feeney said Information Commissioner Emily O’Reilly had accepted that it was sufficient to respond to requests for information about salaries of public employees by giving the grade and salary scale, rather than the exact point on a scale.

He added: “Whilst salaries of individual public servants are not regarded as personal information the actual point on a scale may be indicative of assessments of performance and therefore may involve the disclosure of personal information.”

The station kept these figures a closely guarded secret but started releasing a top 10 list in 2002 after coming under pressure from an Oireachtas committee.

The latest list shows Pat Kenny is the highest paid presenter, with earnings of more than €849,000 in 2006. Gerry Ryan earned €559,000 and Marian Finucane €455,000.

RTÉ staff recently voted for industrial action in pursuit of an improved pension scheme. About 600 staff employed prior to 1989 are on a civil service defined benefit scheme, but 1,200 staff employed after that date are on a less lucrative defined contribution scheme.