RTE is supplying a third of its staff with top range smartphones, but won’t reveal how much is being spent on the perk.
At least 579 phones were purchased between 2012 and 2014, including 369 Apple iPhones, 97 Samsung smartphones, 48 Nokias and 16 HTCs, among other brands.
A spokesperson for RTE said that “it would be inaccurate to claim that RTE is universally paying market rate for the procurement of mobile technology devices.’
The total cost, however, was not revealed. The spokesperson quoted ‘commercial sensitivity’ as the reason for withholding the information.
Records released under the Freedom of Information Act show that almost one in three staff did receive a phone, and RTE confirms that it also pays the bill for its usage, but staff must refund the costs of personal calls.
According to RTE, staff are not “automatically entitled” to a phone.
Handsets are only given to staff including journalists, production teams and digital teams, where according to the broadcaster, there is an “operational requirement” for a phone.