TransparencyOversight & ethics enforcement

RTÉ says its then director general and CFO classified presenter Derek Mooney as a producer in 2020, keeping him off its published top-earner presenter lists

Confidence: Confirmed · 3 sourcesIreland · Oct 12, 2026

Subject of this story

RTÉ (Raidió Teilifís Éireann)

Dee Forbes, Former Director General of RTÉ

Also named

Oversight

Oireachtas Joint Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport

Patrick O'Donovan, Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Ireland

What happened

At an Oireachtas Media Committee hearing on 20 May 2026, RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst said that the 2020 decision to treat Derek Mooney as a producer rather than a presenter was made by the then Director General, Dee Forbes, and the then chief financial officer. As a result Mooney did not appear on RTÉ's annual top-earning presenters lists; RTÉ later restated the list, placing him eighth on the 2024 list on a salary of €197,151 and reportedly seventh in 2025 on €202,264. Deputy Director General Adrian Lynch said a payments staff member was instructed to classify him as a producer. Bakhurst described the matter as a categorisation issue rather than secret payments and said Mooney gained nothing from it. Minister Patrick O'Donovan ordered an audit of presenter payments back to 2020.

Sources (3)

The Irish TimesWhat we learned about RTÉ from today's Oireachtas committee hearing: Mooney was recategorised as a producer for salary reporting on Forbes's instruction.

TheJournal.ieRTÉ to face another grilling at media committee over latest payments controversy.

RTÉ NewsRTÉ bosses due at media cttee amid payments controversy.

Response

RTÉ (Raidió Teilifís Éireann)

On-record admission

Contacted and made an on-record admission — exact wording not on record.

Dee Forbes

No response by publication

Contacted — no response by publication.

What happened next (0)

No outcome recorded yet.

I saw an update

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