Kenny RTÉ top earner for sixth year at €786,240

RTÉ radio and television presenter Pat Kenny remains the station's highest earner for the sixth successive year, having commanded a salary in 2005 of €786,240.

The Late Late Showpresenter's pay was down more than €100,000 compared to 2004, when he earned €899,000. But that was an exceptional year because he had signed a new contract. "His salary for 2004 was inflated because it had been renegotiated and, as part of that, he received a back payment for 2003. In 2005, he went back to his actual salary," an RTÉ spokeswoman said.

According to figures released by the station yesterday, its three highest earners in 2005 continued to be Kenny, Gerry Ryan and Marian Finucane, who have filled the top three slots since 2002.

Ryan, presenter of the long-running Gerry Ryan Showon RTÉ 2FM and the television programme Ryan Confidential, was paid €520,685 through his company Balcom Management. In 2004 his salary was €487,492.

Marian Finucane, who switched from a daytime to a weekend show in May 2005, earned €436,413, almost the same as 2004.

Ryan Tubridy overtook Joe Duffy and Miriam O'Callaghan to become RTÉ's fourth-highest earner as a result of his prime-time Saturday night chat show Tubridy Tonight. His pay increased from €216,150 in 2004 to €328,000 to 2005, the first full year of Tubridy Tonight.

Livelinepresenter Duffy's salary declined slightly from €279,149 in 2004 to €268,200 in 2005, while Prime Timepresenter Miriam O'Callaghan's salary also went down from €251,251 in 2004, a busy year for current affairs because of European and local elections, to €218,272 in 2005.

Derek Mooney, who presented You're A Starin 2005 and now has an afternoon slot on RTÉ Radio 1, is the highest-paid RTÉ employee on the list - the others are contractors. He earned €204,946 in 2005.

The highest-paid journalist in RTÉ in 2005 was Northern editor Tommie Gorman, who appears on the list for the first time. His salary of €200,367 was higher than that of chief news reporter Charlie Bird, who earned €184,537 in 2005.

Both presenter Seán O'Rourke and sports commentator George Hamilton, who featured on the 2004 list, were not among the top 10 in 2005.

Top earners in 2005

Pat Kenny €786,240
Gerry Ryan €520,685
Marian Finucane €436,413
Ryan Tubridy €328,000
Joe Duffy €268,200
Miriam O'Callaghan €218,272
Derek Mooney €204,946
John Kelly €202,000
Tommie Gorman €200,367
Charlie Bird €184,537