'You couldn't make it up': New figures obtained through Freedom of Information show that while cash-strapped RTÉ was publicly committing to massive job cuts, it continued to recruit... and the number of hires it has…

Detailed summary

FOI show the broadcaster has advertised for multiple positions from the beginning of last year to the end of September this year - filling HUNDREDS of them

Published: 22:51 GMT, 15 November 2026 | Updated: 22:56 GMT, 15 November 2026

RTÉ advertised over 250 roles in less than two years, the Irish Mail on Sunday has learned.

Documents that were accessed via a Freedom of Information (FoI) request show that the cash-strapped broadcaster has advertised for multiple positions from the beginning of last year to the end of September this year – filling over 230 of them.

Nineteen of these are new roles, RTÉ this week confirmed – with a spokesman saying that over 90 per cent of the jobs were replacing existing roles.

Just 68 have exited through its Voluntary Exit Programme (VEP) in the same time period. The slow pace of the VEP roll-out was cited by Media Minister Patrick O’Donovan last month as one of the reasons he was withholding €20million of the €260milliom promised to RTÉ in State funding next year.

The new figures show that, while the national broadcaster was publicly committing to massive job cuts, it has continued to recruit staff.

Between January 1, 2025, and September 25 of this year, of the 255 RTÉ posts that were advertised, nearly half – some 114 – offered permanent jobs.

Among the posts advertised was the position of Head of Podcasts, Audio filled by Hugh Ormond, who is responsible for commissioning the now-controversial Howler Podcast featuring Ger Gilroy.

RTE Director General Kevin Bakhurst arrives at Leinster House in Dublin as RTE appear at a Media Committee days after new pay revelations emerged in May

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