RTÉ Sport staff vote 'no confidence' in leadership team

Updated / Wednesday, 11 Nov 2026 19:13

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Members of the National Union of Journalists, in the RTÉ Sports department, have expressed "no confidence" in the broadcaster's senior leadership team.

A statement said that "recent revelations" regarding the appointment of a new podcast presenter have brought "embarrassment, dishonour and ridicule, yet again, to RTÉ".

It comes after issues regarding the 'Howler' sports podcast, presented by Ger Gilroy.

In response, RTÉ said that it acknowledged "receipt" of anonymous email from the NUJ Sports Chapel and would "respond in due course".

The statement, from union members, came after the first meeting of the reformed chapel, and outlined how members "unanimously" expressed "no confidence in the RTÉ Senior Leadership Team" who have presided over "this debacle".

It said that staff have been "consistently" told that the era of "murky practices, secret deals and a general lack of transparency is in the past", but "the events of the last weeks have shown us in fact that nothing has changed".

The statement described the "apparent a-la-carte adherence to transparent HR practices" as having "aggrieved Sports staff who face a number of longstanding issues including incorrect grading, career progression and a lack of programme resourcing, including underinvestment in technology".

"We believe the values of public service broadcasting have been trumped by commercial interests," members said, adding that "nowhere is the abandonment of public service values more evident than in the lack of women’s voices on the new podcast in its first few weeks".

RTÉ to meet sports staff next week

In its response, RTÉ said that it "acknowledges receipt of an anonymous email from the newly formed NUJ Sports Chapel and will respond in due course via RTÉ's Chief People Officer, Annette Malone.

"For clarity, this is not an NUJ motion, but an internal branch motion," the statement said.

"RTÉ's Leadership Team rejects the characterisation of these events and the conclusions referenced in rather sensational language in this anonymous email."

The broadcaster said that Director-General Kevin Bakhurst is scheduled to meet staff in the sports department next week.

It added that RTÉ representatives would attend next week's quarterly meeting of the Trade Union Group, as well as a separate meeting with the NUJ, "on foot of its recent request".