RTÉ hit by €20m funding cut, threatens studio purchase and staff plans

RTÉ has been told its 2027 public funding will be €240 million, €20 million less than the €260 million it had expected under the multi‑annual agreement.

Media Minister Patrick O’Donovan said the reduction reflects the limited scope of his overall €848 million funding package and highlighted the broadcaster’s plan to cut staff by up to 20 % between 2025 and 2029 as central to its transformation agenda.

RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst responded “furiously”, rejecting claims that the pace of reform has been slow and warning that the cut will impact the broadcaster’s five‑year strategy, including a proposed purchase of a site for a new studio in Cork and commitments to audiences, the independent sector and staff.

O’Donovan refused to assign personal blame for compulsory redundancies but noted that voluntary redundancy rounds had not achieved the desired results. He suggested that, had the original allocation been received, other measures across communications, culture and sport would have faced cuts.

Fine Gael TD Alan Kelly, chair of the media committee, warned the decision risks a “head‑on collision” with the broadcaster and called for an urgent explanation from the minister.

Source: Irish Examiner. Photo: Selim Karadayı / Pexels.