RTÉ has revealed the earnings of its highest-paid presenters for 2016.

The figures are published annually but two years in arrears. RTÉ's highest paid presenter for the year was Ryan Tubridy, host of The Late Late Show and weekday Radio 1 programme, who earned €495,000. His earnings did not increase from 2015.

Ray D'Arcy was the second highest paid presenter, and he saw an increase in earnings from €400,000 in 2015 to €450,000 in 2016 as his TV show aired. It was he biggest increase among the top ten earners at the State broadcaster that year.

Fellow Radio 1 presenter Joe Duffy remained the third highest paid with earnings of €389,988, no change from 2015, while Sean O'Rourke's earnings increased by more than €18,000 to €308,964, seeing him rise from sixth highest paid in 2015 to fourth in 2016.

Marian Finucane, meanwhile, who hosts two weekend radio programmes, remained fifth highest paid with her earnings increasing by €5,617 to reach €300,617 for 2016.

Prime Time and Radio 1 presenter Miriam O'Callaghan was sixth on the list with earnings of €299,000, no increase from 2015, and slipping from fourth position.

Claire Byrne, who began hosting Claire Byrne Live in 2015, earned €216,000 in 2016, an increase of €13,500 on the previous year, although there was no change in position from seventh.

Bryan Dobson, who moved from the Six One News to Morning Ireland this year but was co-anchor on Six One in 2016, saw his earnings increase marginally from €195,913 to €198,146, moving from ninth to eighth highest paid for 2016.

George Hamilton was a new addition to the list in 2016 with earnings of €186,195, placing him ninth highest paid, and RTE Radio 1 Drivetime presenter Mary Wilson was tenth highest paid in 2016 with earnings of €185,679.

In 2015 Nicky Byrne, who hosts the Nicky Byrne Show with Jenny Green on 2FM, was eighth highest paid, earning €200,583. That year he also presented the short lived National Lottery game show, but he does not feature in the top ten in 2016.

Sports presenter Darragh Moloney also slipped from the list from 2015 to 2016. In 2015 he was tenth highest paid, earning €188,803.

The national broadcaster said the figures for 2016 demonstrate a 32pc reduction compared to fees earned in 2008, which exceeds RTE's commitment to reduce fees to on-air presenters by at least 30pc compared to 2008.

The total Top 10 presenter earnings for 2016 represents less than 1pc of RTÉ’s total operating costs in 2016 and less than 2pc of total personnel related operating costs.

RTÉ Director-General, Dee Forbes, said: “The audited figures released today for 2016 sees RTÉ maintain our commitment to reduce these earnings by 30% as compared to 2008 levels, while continuing to value the significant contribution our presenters make, and to RTÉ’s ability to optimise commercial revenue to support Ireland’s public media.

"This will continue to be an area of focus for me. Within a challenging marketplace and in the absence of meaningful funding reform, we are making significant efforts to reduce costs across the organisation, in addition to the considerable reduction in operating costs implemented since 2008.”

Online Editors