Staff at RTÉ have demanded that the national broadcaster reverse its decision to stop producing its own young people’s programmes.

The broadcaster, who said they will commission all of the shows from the independent sector, said it was taking the step in “recognition of the challenging financial environment”.

However, the RTÉ Trade Union Group (TUG) has called on the public broadcaster to withdraw its decision and described it as “an attack on the fundamental principle of Public Service Broadcasting”.

TUG Chair, Shirley Bradshaw, said: “RTÉ announced this decision last night. It came as a bolt out of the blue and was made without any consultation with trade unions.

“There is no justification for the manner in which this decision was taken and this cavalier attitude to unions and staff only compounds the bad decision.”

The union will meet senior management at RTÉ tomorrow morning, after which they will consider their options.