Sinn Féin spokesperson on Media, Imelda Munster TD, has said the government’s decision to vote against equal pay for equal work at RTÉ is “shameful”.

Sinn Féin TDs pressed an amendment to a vote during Report Stage of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022, which would have provided for equal pay for equal work at RTÉ, where currently some Raidio na Gaeltachta workers are paid up to 25% less for performing the same work as their English-language counterparts.

Teachta Munster said:

“The government’s decision to vote against our amendment, which would have ensured that no worker is paid more to produce content in the English language than they are in the Irish language, is absolutely shameful.

“Unfortunately it’s not the first time that the government has refused to act on this issue. Minister Catherine Martin agreed to write to RTÉ on this matter when we raised it last month during Committee Stage of the bill, but that was too little, too late.

“The government’s failure to support this amendment means that Irish language workers cannot expect to see equal pay for equal work any time soon.

“RTÉ have ignored this issue for years. I have had discussions with RTÉ on this matter at various Committees, and RTÉ have blatantly refused to deal with this matter.

“They’ve fobbed us off, saying that they were carrying out a review of pay-scales, and told us that this issue would be included. When we followed up on it they ducked and dived until eventually they admitted that the issue is not actually being included in the review.

“This is an outrageous way to do business, and it’s very unfair to those affected workers.

“RTÉ is provided with public funding via the licence fee and it is frankly not acceptable that a public service broadcaster would allow this state of affairs to continue.

“The Minister can’t continue to allow them to fob her off over and over again. She has to take charge, take RTÉ to task and follow through on this.

“The government’s vote last night represents yet another depressing chapter in this ongoing saga.

“Sinn Féin stands with these workers and we’ll continue to support them in their efforts to secure pay equality.”