RTÉ revises 2024 top earning presenters to include Mooney

RTÉ has revised its top 10 highest-earning presenters for 2024 to include Derek Mooney after it says it "reconsidered what constitutes a presenter".

Publishing its results for 2025, the broadcaster said it made the decision "to consider all personnel holding dual roles" for inclusion in the top 10 presenters list.

It said this is in line with the implementation of the Government's Expert Advisory Committee’s recommendations.

Mr Mooney now appears eighth on the 2024 list with a salary of €197,151.

RTÉ says Mr Mooney was designated by RTÉ as a producer and not as a presenter from 2020 to 2024.

He last appeared in the top 10 presenter list in 2014 in tenth position earning €168,871. He did not appear on the list in 2015 or subsequent years.

It is understood Mr Mooney would not have earned enough for inclusion between 2015 and 2019.

However, in response to a query as to whether Mr Mooney would have qualified for the top 10 presenter list between 2020 and 2023, an RTÉ spokesperson said the "lists that were published in those years are accurate based on the judgements made by RTÉ to designate him as a producer at that time".

"RTÉ has made a decision to include individuals who have a dual role for consideration for 2025 and has also re-presented 2024 figures for consistency," the spokesperson added.

Top of the list for 2025 was Claire Byrne - who left RTÉ last year - on €280,000, followed by Patrick Kielty earning €266,323 and Miriam O'Callaghan as the third-highest earner on €244,797.

Mr Mooney is seventh on that list at €202,264.

As part of Claire Byrne and Ray D'Arcy's contracts to provide services for the full year, both were paid after they finished working at RTE.

Claire Byrne ceased providing services on 31 October 2025 and was paid €47,000 after that date.

Ray D'Arcy ceased providing services on 9 October 2025 and was paid €50,000 after that date.

Chair of the RTÉ Board Terence O'Rourke said it "became clear" Mr Mooney was "categorised as a producer earlier but he does presenting as well, so having looked at this, let's call it out and make sure it's transparent".

"Derek qualifies for the top 10 as a presenter and he's in the list this year."

The Government's Expert Advisory Committee published its review of governance and culture in RTÉ in May 2024, in which 90 recommendations were made to address what the report called "important weaknesses in RTÉ’s governance and culture".

Mr O'Rourke said there were "lots" of recommendations in that report and RTÉ has been "working its way through" them.

He said RTÉ has added criteria with regard to what is published in the Top 10 list, and "will continue to do so".

"The statement we make about the top 10 presenters is something we do voluntarily. We make judgements as to what's in there and what's not in there.

"You'll see in this year's list there are quite a lot of things we've reflected on ... what we should include and not include.

"The judgement we make this year is Derek should be in there ... it's just a change in judgement this year."