Minister for Communications Noel Dempsey refused to be drawn on salaries paid to RTÉ broadcasters.
"As somebody who always resented the inference that I was not earning the salary I was being paid out of the public purse, I will not comment on the salaries some of the people are being paid in RTÉ.
"The information is available and somebody clearly thinks the personnel are worth their salary." Mr Dempsey added that the issue would be subject to negotiation and he was sure that RTÉ management was as good a negotiator as anybody else.
"Some of the salaries are based on returns coming back to the station relating to advertising. I do not know the details of the matter."
The Minister was replying to Labour spokesman Tommy Broughan who asked if Mr Dempsey was concerned about what was happening in public sector broadcasting, given the profitability of RTÉ and the huge salaries being paid to broadcasters. Pat Kenny, he said, earned almost €900,000, Gerry Ryan almost €500,000, Joe Duffy almost €300,000.
Mr Broughan also asked Mr Dempsey if he was concerned about an apparent "atmosphere of fear and loathing in Donnybrook, Dublin 4", as some of the newspapers had characterised it. This had involved the "removal or shunting to the graveyard shift of three of the jewels of public service broadcasting". They were Rattlebag, Mystery Train and John Creedon's programme.
Mr Dempsey said that it was good for RTÉ to challenge itself and for programmes to be moved around.
