Its services include local, national, European and international news, investigative journalism and current affairs programming for RTÉ television, radio, online, podcasts, on-demand and for independent Irish language public broadcaster TG4.

The division is based at the RTÉ Television Centre in Donnybrook, Dublin; however, the station also operates regional bureaux across Ireland and the world.

It was replaced by Frank Hall's Newsbeat, a news and current affairs programme that focused more on the light-hearted stories from around the country.

Home Truths was successful in bring ordinary issues to the fore, in one instance a programme exposing meat prices caused butchers and the meat industry to protest the new TV service, this in turn caused issues for the advertising sales department who were having to deal with boycotts or changes to their advertising schedule, this in turn caused problems for producers who felt force to take on more softer issues due to TÉ's commercial concerns.

However, when TÉ invited a Farming Representative into a debate with the Minister for Agriculture, the Fianna Fáil Chief Whip refused, stating that the agreement was "for politicians only".

Meanwhile, when TÉ attempted to send reporters to Vietnam for 7 Days they were advised by the Government that this was unnecessary; this view taken due to Ireland's relationship with the United States.

Seán Duignan and Eileen Dunne were the first presenters of Six One, which began in October 1988[9] In 1991, RTÉ News appointed its first legal affairs correspondent, Kieron Wood.

[10] Also in the 1990s, the first Washington, D.C. correspondent Mark Little was appointed, and Teilifís na Gaeilge, RTÉ lyric fm and RTÉ.ie were established.

[11] In 1992 RTÉ launched its flagship current affairs programme Prime Time replacing Today Tonight.

[16] 2009 brought major changes the current affairs schedule with the axing of the long-running Questions and Answers which was replaced by The Frontline.

The 2010s opened with what has since been commemorated as "one of the most memorable moments of Irish television" being shown on RTÉ's televised news bulletins; amid a deep freeze on 8 January 2010, RTÉ showed one male individual slipping and sliding down the street in Dublin.

[19] Prime Time relaunched with a larger studio and additional presenters Claire Byrne and George Lee.

In 2012, RTÉ announced it was moving some of its regional newsrooms to local Institute of Technology as a cost-saving arrangement.

[22] The Week in Politics now airs twice every Sunday premiering live at 12:00 and repeated again at its usual late-night slot.

On 12 January 2015, RTÉ dropped the Monday night edition of Prime Time replaced by Claire Byrne Live.

[26] On 27 October 2017, RTÉ launched its News Archives Collection not filled much after Christmas Eve 2020 (7 March 1985 – 31 December 1990).

But plans to upload film news (31 December 1961 – 6 March 1985) or (1991–1999) on videotape should be decided in late May or early June 2022 via RTÉ Archives.

Jon Williams, RTÉ News & Current Affairs Managing Director, said: "The new studio and design builds on the themes that have made RTÉ Ireland's number one choice for TV News – bringing our audiences stories from across the world and around the corner.

I'm particularly thrilled that "O'Donnell Abú" will again herald the news of the day – and grateful to the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra for their interpretation of an iconic piece of music.

On occasion RTÉ may also provide rolling news coverage on an important developing news story such as on 9/11, the London Bombings of 2005, the COVID-19 pandemic and events in Ireland such as the Dublin riots of 2006 and the 2023 historic visit of US President Joe Biden to Ireland.

The channel was available on train services within Dublin city and surrounding regions under a special agreement between Irish Rail, Transvision and RTÉ.

Politics In March 2009, RTÉ was involved in controversy over a report about the placing of naked paintings of Taoiseach Brian Cowen in two Dublin Art Galleries.

Initially, the station carried a television news report that displayed the pictures and treated the topic in a humorous light.

[54] In May 2011, RTÉ broadcast on a Prime Time Investigates programme allegations that the Roman Catholic Priest Kevin Reynolds raped and impregnated a Kenyan teenager.

A scandal ensued when the allegations were discovered to be false, which generated intensive media coverage and political debate in Ireland, resulting in a government inquiry into the broadcaster.

[55][56] In November 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, RTÉ apologised after several top news presenters and correspondents, including Bryan Dobson, David McCullagh, Miriam O'Callaghan, Eileen Dunne and Paul Cunningham, were photographed at a retirement party at RTÉ headquarters where social distancing was not fully observed.

[57] A month later, a health and safety review conducted by RTÉ into the gathering found that five breaches of COVID-19 protocols occurred, with up to 40 people present at the time.