Ireland's state broadcaster, RTÉ, has announced a redundancy scheme in order to cut a minimum of 70 jobs and save €5m (£4.4m) a year.
RTÉ, which is funded partly by licence fee and partly by advertising, said the job cuts were essential in light of a €30m (£26.5m) deficit facing the station this year.
It believes it will recover the cost within two years. Staff who take voluntary redundancy will receive up to six weeks pay per year of service capped at 130 weeks. Those over 55 who accept early retirement will receive a lump sum of up to €60,000 (£53k).
RTÉ described the package as "fair, prudent and realistic". The redundancies will bring the number of RTÉ staff down to less than 2,000.
RTÉ's director-general Noel Curran said recently that the organisation had hoped to break even this year but changes in the budget had forced it to make further cuts.
Some of RTÉ's highest-paid stars will have to take pay cuts of 30% between now and 2013.
The National Union of Journalists' Irish secretary Seamus Dooley said he anticipated a "high level of interest" from staff because the terms were attractive to those with long service.
Source: Irish Times/RTÉ
