RYAN TUBRIDY IS once again RTÉ’s highest-paid presenter, according to figures released by the national broadcaster.

Tubridy, who hosts The Late Late Show on RTÉ One and The Ryan Tubridy Show on RTÉ Radio One, was paid €440,000 in 2021.

His salary is down €26,250 from 2020, when he was paid €466,250.

Tubridy has been RTÉ’s highest-paid presenter for over a decade.

Liveline host Joe Duffy was the broadcaster’s second-highest presenter with an annual salary of €351,000 in 2021. Duffy also took a pay cut that year, having earned €360,650 in 2020

Claire Byrne’s salary came in third at €350,000. Ray Darcy and Miriam O’Callaghan completed the top five with salaries of €305,000 and €263,500 respectively. Both earned the same the previous year.

RTÉ said the salaries of its highest-earning presenters represent less than 1% of its total operating costs.

The broadcaster said it reduced total fees paid to its highest-paid presenters by more than 15% in both 2020 and 2021.

Director-General Dee Forbes said: “Our presenters play an important role in RTÉ’s provision of vital news, information and entertainment to audiences right across the country and enable us to generate commercial revenue which is essential to fund RTÉ’s public services.

“We are aware that the fees of high-profile presenters attract considerable public interest. Over the past 15 years RTÉ has reduced these fees by c. 40%. We continue to keep them under review.”