The Minister for Foreign Affairs has strongly defended Government expenditure totalling over €10m in grants to Irish community organisations across Britain.
Speaking to RTÉ News in London, Micheál Martin described the sums as modest and said many elderly Irish people in Britain needed the support and services provided by Government funding.
He said the money enabled Irish organisations to get further funding from the British authorities.
The Government's annual support for Irish emigrant services in Britain was not cut back in the Budget.
This year's allocation by the Government includes €770,000 to the Federation of Irish Societies, €265,000 to the Southwark Irish Pensioners Project in London and €128,000 to the London Gypsy and Traveller Unit.
RTÉ's Director-General Cathal Goan yesterday told a Dáil committee that the state broadcaster was postponing plans for a TV service to Britain as part of cost-cutting measures within the organisation.
