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‘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 since made is STAGGERING
RTÉ advertised 255 posts between January 2025 and 25 September 2026, filling more than 230 while the broadcaster was publicly committing to major job cuts. The figures have drawn scrutiny because only 68 staff left through its Voluntary Exit Programme during the same period, and the slow roll-out was cited by Ireland’s media minister as a reason to withhold €20 million of promised state funding.
RTÉ said 19 of the advertised posts were newly created, with more than 90 per cent replacing existing roles; 12 posts remained unfilled and nine were still being progressed. Of the adverts, 114 offered permanent positions and 166 were external, though RTÉ said many permanent roles were part-time or short-term. Its workforce fell from 1,826 people at the end of 2024 to 1,801 at the end of 2025, while full-time equivalent staffing declined from 1,744 to 1,714.
In short
- RTÉ advertised 255 roles during its planned workforce cuts.
- More than 230 posts were filled, while 68 staff exited.
- RTÉ says 19 roles were newly created; most filled vacancies.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The number of posts advertised while RTÉ was promising major cuts raises a reasonable question about whether its workforce plans and public commitments were properly aligned. With only 68 departures through the voluntary exit scheme, and the scheme’s slow progress cited in the decision to withhold funding, scrutiny of recruitment and transparency is warranted.
The case against
The headline figure does not by itself show that RTÉ expanded its workforce: the broadcaster says more than 90 per cent of the advertised posts replaced existing roles, and some permanent jobs were part-time or short-term. Staffing and full-time equivalent numbers both fell between 2024 and 2025, while some advertised posts remained unfilled, suggesting recruitment may have served ongoing operational needs during a gradual restructuring.
Explained simply
RTÉ is Ireland’s public service broadcaster, funded through a mix of public money and its own commercial income. It has been under financial pressure and has been planning to reduce its workforce through a Voluntary Exit Programme, which allows staff to leave in return for an agreed package.
The programme’s progress matters because the Irish government had promised RTÉ €20 million in state funding, but the media minister cited the slow pace of departures when withholding that money. The reported figures compare recruitment with staff exits, while RTÉ says most advertised roles replaced existing jobs and some were part-time or short-term.
Headcount and full-time equivalent figures measure different things: headcount counts people, while full-time equivalents adjust for working hours. Both fell between the end of 2024 and the end of 2025, providing context for the debate about how recruitment fits with RTÉ’s plans to cut costs.