RTÉ has been accused of starving funding for its orchestras as "a trick" to secure an increase in financial resources.
The claim was made by Fianna Fáil TD Éamon Ó Cuív during questions to Minister for Arts, Josepha Madigan in the Dáil.
Last month, an independent review recommended that the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) be established as an independent body, or as part of the National Concert Hall and funded by the Government.
The report also said that RTÉ faces financial challenges and concludes that if support is not forthcoming, then a "poor second choice" would be the closure of one of the two RTÉ orchestras.
The review was carried out by Helen Boaden, former director of BBC Radio and BBC News, and looked at the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.
Mr Ó Cuív asked if the Minister was concerned that the orchestras, which "are already funded through the licence fee...that people would have to fund them through your department and that RTÉ are doing this as a trick to increase their funding rather than for any other reason".
Ms Madigan said her department is examining the proposal for the Government to fund part of the cost of the NSO at €4 million, with RTÉ continuing to fund the balance.
"I'm already on record as supporting these recommendations which will ensure that orchestral music is allowed to flourish and grow" she said.
Mr Ó Cuív asked if this meant taxpayers would have to pay twice to fund the orchestras.
"Are you telling me that as well as paying our licence fee to fund the two orchestras, we'll have to actually pay more taxes in the form of €4m, in the form of general taxation to pay for these orchestras again?"
He said the Government has failed to exercise any control over an agency which has a statuary obligation to maintain orchestras.
"Is this just a mechanism by RTÉ to get more funding?" he asked.
Mr Ó Cuív said RTÉ was going to get "a bonanza of cash" in the next ten years when the Government started providing housing for people "because every house virtually means a television licence" he said.
