Firm behind Brendan O’Connor’s RTÉ show increases profit by 66%

Mind the Gap profits rise to €245,000 on back of buoyant year for the business

Brendan O’Connor   on the set of his series, Brendan O’Connor’s Cutting Edge. Photograph: Andres Poveda
Brendan O’Connor on the set of his series, Brendan O’Connor’s Cutting Edge. Photograph: Andres Poveda

Profits at the independent production firm that produces Brendan O’Connor’s Cutting Edge show on RTÉ last year increased by 66 per cent to €245,299.

In a buoyant year for the business, the firm’s cash pile increased from €128,400 to €427,773 in the 12 months to the end of June .

The multi-award winning company – established in 2001 and led by Bill Hughes and Bernadine Carraher – regularly works on large-scale productions with budgets of over €1 million.

The IFTA-winning Cutting Edge is fronted by journalist Brendan O’Connor and has been a ratings winner for RTÉ and Mind The Gap with an average viewership of 254,000 .

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Staff costs

Other productions by Mind the Gap include Lords and Ladles and Healthy Appetite. The company specialises in television entertainment, music, documentaries and other factual programming.

The company has eight employees and staff costs rose from €305,732 to €332,689.

Pay to directors last year increased from €144,119 to €162,497, with €129,650 in emoluments and €32,847 in pension contributions. Shareholder funds totalled €390,920.

Data from the Revenue Commissioners show that Mind the Gap received a tax credit between zero and €500,000 towards the production of Lords and Ladles series two under section 481 of the Film Corporation Tax scheme.

Gordon Deegan

Gordon Deegan

Gordon Deegan is a contributor to The Irish Times