RTÉ\'s Managing Director of News and Current Affairs has tonight defended RTÉ\'s annual extended holidays. On Twitter he defended the broadcasters annual policy of dropping many of its news and current affairs programmes during holiday periods, such as Christmas and Summertime. The former ABC executive said \

According to the Department of Communications Annual Report 2019 RTÉ received €8.1 million in extra funding in 2019 compared to 2018. In total RTÉ received €196.6 million in license fee funding, this compares to €188.5 million in 2018. TG4\'s funding from the exchequer was restore in 2019, meaning its 2018 portion of the license fee of €4.5 million came to zero in 2019. The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland received €14.8 million in license fee funding in 2019, an increase of €300,000 from 2018. €222.7 million was raised from TV Licences in 2019.

The Irish public service broadcaster, RTÉ, will gain €20million in annual funding following Catherine Martin\'s (Minister for Media) decision to move the Irish National Symphony Orchestra to the National Concert Hall. Last year RTÉ benefited from the return of TG4\'s portion of the License Fee, which was worth €4.5m in 2018, followed by a €10m increase in funding at the end of 2019 for 2020. RTÉ have yet to go on record in relation to the increase in funding over the last 3 years, only to say it look forward to supporting a smooth and successful transition from RTÉ of the NSO. Meanwhile, Irish Language public service broadcaster, TG4, thank the government for an increase in their public funding of €3.5m in Budget 2021.