RTÉ IS “NOT in the business of being cheap as chips”, the broadcaster’s director-general said, as he admitted some outsourced productions have increased in price.

Kevin Bakhurst said RTÉ was “tightening its belt” as it strengthened its financial position and “reversed the trend of reporting deficits”.

However, he said it was “impossible” to give overall cost savings from outsourcing programmes to the independent sector.

Bakhurst appeared before the Public Accounts Committee on Thursday after new payment controversies emerged at the station, defending RTÉ as not a “tinpot” organisation.

On the overall financial position, he said the reversal from deficits arose out of “tighter cost controls” supported by a new commercial strategy – as well as the government’s multiannual funding commitment from 2025.

The director-general said he would “appeal very strongly” for a similar multiannual commitment when it next comes for review in 2027.

Bakhurst said RTÉ was driving commercial funding “as hard as we can”, but added: “In the end, public service media – in my view and in our view – is a public good and it does require public investment.”

Asked by Fine Gael TD Grace Boland how much additional state funding RTÉ would be looking for from 2028, Bakhurst said discussions had not started.

He added: “We will need public funding. We will need funding from either the licence fee or a similar source of public funding.”

Asked if it would be a reduced amount, he said these were choices to be made by the media regulator, the Oireachtas and the government.

RTÉ has committed to outsourcing programming as part of a strategy of cost reduction and supporting the independent production sector.

Up For The Match, which airs as two specials on the eves of the All-Ireland hurling and football finals, is among programmes to be outsourced.

Bakhurst told the committee the revised format of the show will cost RTÉ more than the in-house production.

The director-general said the organisation makes a “business case” for each outsourced programme but added that public value is a question of cost and “delivering the best quality programme” for its audience.

“The value of something is not just how much we pay for it; it’s what the value is to the audience as well.”

He said Up For The Match is “costing a little bit more” as it has changed from a studio-based show to a live production from Croke Park.

Bakhurst said it had sought ideas from the independent sector through a “proper process” and “chose the very best creative idea”.

Asked for the overall cost saving from outsourcing, Bakhurst said this was “impossible to say”.

He told Boland: “It’s not solely about ‘is it a cheaper programme?’; we’re not in the business of being cheap as chips. We’re in the business of providing high-quality content.”

Pressed on whether outsourcing had seen an increase in costs for taxpayers, he said: “Some are cheaper and some are more expensive.”

Bakhurst said potential “efficiencies” identified in consultant-led reviews into the news and operations divisions will “feed into” targets for voluntary exit programmes.

He said artificial intelligence had replaced a “very insignificant number” of jobs in RTÉ so far.

“We’re taking, you know, I would say a relatively measured approach to it.”

He said RTÉ “will always have human oversight of journalistic decisions”.

Asked by Social Democrats TD Aiden Farrelly to clarify this comment, he said: “What it means is you have editors and journalists and producers who are doing the work.

“They may use AI tools, but in the end, the humans will do the journalism.

“We’re not going to generate our journalism via AI, but AI is already a useful tool that we already use in some areas in news and current affairs.”