Sarah McInerney and Fran McNulty are to join RTÉ's Prime Time following the announcement of a new presenting team for the current affairs programme.
From 6 April, Sarah will join Miriam O'Callaghan in studio on Tuesday nights, while Fran and Miriam will take the helm every Thursday on RTÉ One.
The new presenting team will launch a refresh of Prime Time, which will involve a brand-new look for the programme and studio.
Editor of Prime Time, Richard Downes, said the new team would "lead the mission to illuminate dark corners and the questions that matter" to Irish people.
The programme has seen audiences increase in 2021, with an average of 341,000 watching each Tuesday and Thursday night on RTÉ One.
"They reinforce a talented team committed to staying at the very heart of public debate in Ireland and being your guide to the truth through the maze of spin and fake news," he said.
Sarah will continue to co-host Drivetime on RTÉ Radio 1, a fast-moving current affairs programme on weekday evenings that covers the political and topical issues of the day.
She has also previously presented RTÉ Radio 1's Today programme and Late Debate. Before moving to RTÉ, Sarah was the host of Newstalk Drive, and was Political Correspondent with The Sunday Times for eight years.
Fran is an award-winning journalist who most recently held the role of Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Correspondent for RTÉ News.
His appointment as a presenter sees him return to RTÉ Prime Time, where he worked as a reporter for five years.
During his time with the programme he uncovered abuses in the fishing industry, exposed significant issues in the agricultural and food production sectors and explored a range of issues within the insurance industry, including fraud.
"RTÉ Prime Time was one of the shows that first sparked my interest in politics. It is a programme that has, for decades, been producing top class current affairs coverage," said Sarah, who noted that she was "delighted" to get the opportunity to work alongside Miriam and Fran, two broadcasters she has long admired.
"It's so humbling to be asked to present RTÉ Prime Time, the country’s flagship current affairs programme," said Fran.
"To be part of the new presenter line-up as the programme is reimagined, with a new editor backed up by a tremendous team is an incredible honour," he said.
Miriam said she was "very excited" to be joined by these "exceptional" presenters.
"I know and really like them both, and we are all going to work so well together and get on great," she said.
"I have been incredibly lucky with my co-presenters on RTÉ, most recently Dave McCullagh – superb colleagues, many of whom have become close friends," Miriam said.
Jon Williams, the Managing Director of RTÉ News & Current Affairs said that Prime Time had never been more vital than it is now.
"With Miriam, Fran and Sarah, RTÉ Prime Time will follow the story, and join the dots, so our audience have the information they need to make the decisions that impact their lives – doubling down on what has been RTÉ Prime Time's mission from day one: to make sense of what's really going on, whether that's around the corner, around Ireland or around the world."
