MINISTER FOR Communications Eamon Ryan ruled out intervening in RTÉ salary scales. He said that the recent decision by RTÉ unions to take pay cuts was not easy.

“In that consideration process, the rate of pay across the organisation was a central issue, but I am not going to intervene and micro-manage RTÉ’s payment structures,’’ he added.

Mr Ryan said even with efficiencies introduced it was clear that RTÉ in the downturn, like all other broadcasting companies, would have to make difficult choices to make savings due to the loss of commercial revenue.

“That will have to be in pay costs and other non-personal operation costs, which is happening,’’ he added.

“It has already made significant savings early this year. Decisions will have to be made on other one-off items to achieve savings.’’

That was not an easy task, the Minister added, but at least it was starting off on the right foot in that unions and management had agreed the broad principles in terms of how they could do it.

The Minister was replying to Fine Gael communications spokesman Simon Coveney who asked if he was happy that just fewer than 150 people in RTÉ earned more than €100,000 annually. Seven or eight people in RTÉ earned over €300,000. He asked: “Is that appropriate for an organisation the size of RTÉ? Perhaps it is. I do not know, but it is my job to ask those questions when RTÉ is currently under significant pressure financially and that pressure is being added to by the increased responsibilities in RTÉ that will arise from the Broadcasting Bill.’’

Mr Coveney said he would like to recognise the unions’ vote to introduce wage reductions, which involved significant sacrifices by many staff members. “That was not an easy decision and it is important to recognise that,’’ he added.

Mr Ryan said he was satisfied that RTÉ was endeavouring to deal with its problems in the most prudent manner possible.