Redundancy packages offered by RTÉ must be in line with packages that are being offered by other public sector bodies, Paschal Donohoe has warned.
The Public Expenditure sounded the alarm following reports in the Business Post on Sunday that RTÉ is planning to offer “enhanced” golden handshakes to employees earning over €100,000 in a bid to get them to apply for redundancy.
The newspaper reported that staff earning more than €100,000 are set to be offered up to eight weeks’ pay per year of service in enhanced redundancy payments.
As part of RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst’s strategic vision plan released last week, it was confirmed that the national broadcaster would have 400 fewer employees by 2028.
READ MORE: Kevin Bakhurst 'not bitter or angry' over being left to sort RTÉ scandal
Up to 40 voluntary redundancies will be offered next year.
Asked yesterday [mon] if he would veto any overly generous redundancy packages, Mr Donohoe said that they must be in line with packages offered by other public service bodies.
“We haven't got to the point where the detail of redundancy packages has been brought to Government,” the Public Expenditure Minister said.
“What RTÉ have said is that they want to get to a reduction in the size of RTE of one-fifth over the next number of years. They want to do that in a voluntary way.
“How they will do that is mostly a matter for them because I have to recognise the right of public service employers to decide how they want to manage industrial relations matters themselves.
“But of course, I'll have to have a look at what would be the packages they would be proposing and make sure they're consistent with how similar issues have been handled elsewhere in the public service.
“But those packages have not been brought to me. I don't think we're at that point yet. There's a few more months of engagement to go.
“But I understandably would want to make sure that what is on offer in one part of our public service is consistent with what has been offered elsewhere.”
When asked if he was saying that he would veto golden handshake packages, Mr Donohoe stressed that there were “certain ways in which these issues are handled across the public service and across our different state and semi-state bodies”.
“They have to be inside those parameters,” he continued.
“Given the level of change that's underway in RTÉ and given the fact that I made clear last week that the funding next year is going to be conditional on changes being made, I’d rather look forward to seeing those changes be made than have to talk about vetoing things if they don’t happen.”
The Government agreed last week that RTÉ would receive €16m in interim funding by the end of the year.
Another €40m will be paid next year but will be delivered in tranches and will be dependent on RTÉ delivering reforms.
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