Public trust in RTÉ will “take some time to rebuild”, director general Kevin Bakhurst said on Friday, after its annual report for 2024 showed that only 41 per cent of people agreed that the national broadcaster is trustworthy.
This meant RTÉ missed a key performance commitment to maintain the public perception that it is trustworthy at greater than 52 per cent.
“We continue to work hard and will continue to do our best to increase trust scores. However, while trust can be easily lost, as we well know, it can take some time to rebuild. We are certainly committed to that task,” said Mr Bakhurst.
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RTÉ said its trust scores were higher in 2024 than they were in the second half of 2023. The organisation was plunged into a reputational crisis in June 2023 after it revealed that it had not properly disclosed the pay of presenter Ryan Tubridy, while a string of other corporate governance issues subsequently emerged.
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Mr Bakhurst also defended RTÉ’s record on climate after a group of more than 125 signatories – including academics, doctors and public representatives – sent the broadcaster a formal letter of complaint over the absence of climate and environmental issues from its presidential election debates.
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“These debates covered a wide range of issues which were topical throughout the campaign. There was a range of other important issues we could have included. However, we are happy with our decisions,” Mr Bakhurst said.
“RTÉ provides extensive coverage of climate change across our news and current affairs output, particularly when it involves forums or politicians who have a role in actually deciding policy in this and related areas.”
Since rejoining RTÉ as director general in July 2023, Mr Bakhurst has implemented a series of reforms, secured guaranteed public funding from the Government for a three-year period and outlined a plan that will see the organisation shrink by 400 people, or 20 per cent of its workforce, over a five-year period.
He confirmed on Friday that RTÉ was on track to reach its target for departures in 2025.
“We expect 100 people to leave RTÉ this year through the voluntary exit programme and through the suppression of roles where people have left RTÉ, including those who have left through retirement.”
Staff numbers edged higher last year, its annual report shows. As of December 31st, 2024, it employed 1,853 people, including 219 part-time or casual workers. This was up from 1,836 people, including 204 part-time or casual workers, in 2023.
Separately, the broadcaster said it did not expect to identify any further historically agreed annual payments following its increase to the provision on its balance sheet for eight such payments.
Four of these are pension payments agreed decades ago, while four are income replacement payments made to former employees who took early retirement within the terms of the 2017 or 2021 voluntary exit programmes.
