Government cuts RTÉ funding by €20m as budget deal collapses
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The government has announced a €20 million reduction in funding for RTÉ for 2027, a move that has drawn strong criticism from the national broadcaster and unions. Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport Patrick O'Donovan had previously indicated the government's intention to go back on a funding agreement with RTÉ during budget discussions. RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst expressed dissatisfaction with the decision, stating it was unanticipated and would impact the station's five-year strategy.
In other news, nurses are set to stage lunchtime protests and picket hospitals across the country due to an ongoing dispute over public sector pay. Phil Ní Sheaghdha, General Secretary of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), described comments made by Taoiseach Micheál Martin regarding the strikes as 'a little glib' ahead of the planned industrial action.
Separately, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Helen McEntee stated that the conclusion of a peacekeeping mission in Lebanon is expected to lead to an exodus from the Defence Forces. Meanwhile, Irish universities have reportedly spent hundreds of thousands of euros on animal experiments conducted overseas, with details withheld under Freedom of Information requests.