Government agrees a bailout worth €56 million for RTÉ

It's provided the broadcaster implements a number of reforms.

Image via Google Maps

The government has agreed a bailout worth €56 million for RTÉ, if the broadcaster implements reforms.

€16 million is set to be given to RTÉ in the coming weeks, with a further €40 million euro to follow next year. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar says the funding will be given as long as reforms are brought in at the broadcaster.

RTÉ is preparing to publish its strategic vision later this afternoon, which is expected to include hundreds of voluntary redundancies. Representatives from RTE’s Trade Union Group are meeting today with the national broadcasters Director General, Kevin Bakhurst.

They are being briefed about what is in RTÉ’s strategic reform plan. That plan is expected to include 400 job cuts in four years. A number of services will also be reduced and some digital radio channels are set to be axed.

All RTÉ staff will be briefed about what is in the strategic reform plan later this afternoon at around 3pm.