'I'll be in the top ten list': David McCullagh to earn more than €200k for new RTÉ role

RTÉ presenter David McCullagh has revealed he is likely to feature in the list of top ten earners at the national broadcaster once he takes over from Claire Byrne on RTÉ Radio 1.

The announcement that he is take over the flagship mid-morning radio slot was confirmed after it was revealed that Claire Byrne is to move to rival station Newstalk later in the year.

Speaking with Oliver Callan on Tuesday, the current Six One presenter said he he did not have to audition or formally apply for the role which, he expects, will put him in list RTÉ’s top ten earners.

He told listeners that he will be paid €209,000 annually with an additional €31,000 in pension contributions, bringing the total package to around €240,000.

McCullagh revealed the package was agreed without any negotiation on his part. He added that he is “very happy” with the salary and did not need to think much about accepting the offer, when approached over the summer. 

Read More: Irish Central Bank to no longer approve Israeli bonds

David McCullagh, who will start in his new role on November 3, holds a PhD in politics and has authored several books. 

McCullagh hails from Blackrock, Dublin and has worked at Prime Time, Morning Ireland and the Six One News. 

Oliver Callan said this Monday morning that "big daddy" Pat Kenny of Newstalk has been replaced by "big mammy", Claire Byrne. It has not been disclosed what Claire Byrne will be paid by Newstalk which is a privately-owned commercial broadcaster.

The most-recent figures show that Claire Byrne’s salary (at RTÉ) was €280,000 in 2023, making her the second-highest earner at RTÉ at that time, after Joe Duffy. 

The most recent JNLR listenership report showed that Today with Claire Byrne on RTÉ Radio 1 is one of the most listened to radio programmes in the country.