RTÉ Authority
Stephen O'Byrnes
Stephen O'Byrnes was appointed to the fourteenth RTÉ Authority by Síle de Valera, Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, taking office on Thursday 1 June 2000, for a period of five years.
A PR/Public Affairs consultant, Stephen O'Byrnes is Executive Director of Media Relations & Public Affairs Consultants Ltd. (MRPA), Pembroke Place, Dublin 2.
During the period 1986-1995, he worked as Director of Policy and Press Relations for the Progressive Democrats Party, and was Assistant Government Press Secretary in the 1989-1992 Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrats Coalition Government.
Prior to that, Stephen O'Byrnes worked as a journalist for 15 years - with the Irish Independent and the Irish Press Group. At the Irish Independent, he was News Analysis Editor. With the Irish Press Group he served at different times as Local Government Correspondent, Consumer Affairs Correspondent, Agricultural Correspondent and Political Reporter.
Stephen is the author of a history of Fine Gael under Garret Fitzgerald (published 1986) and a former lecturer on Business Environment and Public Affairs with the Public Relations Institute of Ireland. He is a native of Kildimo, Co. Limerick.