RTÉ has defended the spending of more than €230,000 on private chauffeur services over a six-year period.
The broadcaster said this included saloon cars, six-seaters and minibuses and covers the years from 2021 to 2026.
Programme teams are required to transport a variety of guests (actors, authors, musicians, performers, dignitaries, and more) to studios and other locations, a RTÉ spokesperson said.
They added that while many guests, participants and presenters are transported by taxi, these car hire services are often required for live programmes such as the Late Late Show.
They are also needed for live sports programming and for live events and performances, including those featuring the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.
Documents sent by RTÉ to the Dáil's Public Accounts Committee show that more than €318,000 was spent on taxis last year.
Watch: 'There is no end to RTÉ's sense of entitlement', McDonald tells Dáil
The spokesperson said that taxi services for guests, contributors and staff reflect the comprehensive nature of RTÉ's operations, including those outside of public transport hours.
In the Dáil, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the Government "does in not any shape or form defend any excessive or unnecessary expenditure" by RTÉ.
He was responding to Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, who told the house that "there is no end to RTÉ's sense of entitlement in its attitude to the spending of public money… and no end, it seems, either to the lack of oversight from your Government".
She said that the money was spent on luxury cars for guests and presenters.
"Now, this isn't to be confused with your common or garden taxi," Ms McDonald said.
"Can you tell me how it is appropriate in any way that this type of money is blown on luxury limos?" she asked.
Mr Martin said RTÉ is being brought under the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General and PAC to provide a "specific mechanism to hold RTÉ to account for the type of expenditure that you've just described".
"And it is a matter for RTÉ to account for that," he said.
Mr Martin said that the Government "does in not any shape or form defend any excessive or unnecessary expenditure of the type that you have outlined".
Minister says he 'has confidence' in RTÉ
Minister for Media Patrick O'Donovan said despite the difficulties at RTÉ he has "confidence" in the broadcaster's chair, board and director general.
The minister was asked by Fine Gael TD Brian Brennan at the Oireachtas Committee on Media, "do you feel going forward you are confident in the structures and people placed there" given "public confidence in RTÉ from this drip-drip feed is at an all-time low" and staff morale has "never been at a lower level."
In response, Minister O'Donovan said: "I have a very simple answer, do I have confidence in the chair, the board and the director general? I do. And I do on the basis of they inherited a bag of you know what, and they have had to try and untangle that and put this thing back together after the way in which it had been run for years.
"There's a combination of issues there as to why it was run the way it was run.
"There was probably a bit of 'if I have it - I'll spend it' attitude and then 'I didn't have it, so I couldn't spend it', but they continued to spend it.
"There's no doubt about it that the current generation of leadership in the organisation have inherited more than their fair share of you know what.
"This generation of leaders have done a lot of positive work. You are right though, there is a morale issue, the company themselves said this, but the only way that is going to be addressed is when they see the continued positive output of the organisation, and they're on the right track.
"I firmly believe they're on the right track," he added.
