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Irish Times
29-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
RTÉ execs return for another grilling at the media committee barbecue – but where's the beef?
The members of the freshly formed Oireachtas media committee must have been exhausted after their speed-grilling of RTÉ's 'leadership team' during a frenetic Q & A session in the bowels of Leinster House. As for their barbecue meat of choice, the witnesses were only slightly seared compared to the long hours of intensive basting they endured from two separate committees two years ago at the glorious height of the Tubsgate and flip-flop fiasco hearings. New chairman, Labour's Alan Kelly, still sounds traumatised. He was on the Public Accounts Committee at the time. 'I lost days of my life in this room a couple of years ago,' he shuddered on Wednesday, before bravely wading back into the Montrose murk. 'I lost days of my life here.' READ MORE Two more survivors turned up for duty – former senators Malcolm Byrne (FF) and Micheál Carrigy (FG) are back on the media committee, but as TDs this time. The high attrition rate was not lost on one post-election deputy observing the line-up for RTÉ v Leinster House: the rematch. 'More RTÉ executives than politicians survived.' Committee meetings can very dull, under-attended affairs, particularly when the issue under scrutiny isn't headline-friendly. Members just nip in and ask their question for the TikTok before scuttling out. This one was very well attended, on all sides. 'There's enough people here to fill a hurling team, in fairness,' remarked Fianna Fáil TD for Carlow-Kilkenny Peter 'Chap' Cleere, telling the DG it was good to see such a fine turnout. 'So fair play for that.' The chair was pleased to note that all of the committee members were present for duty. In a commendable display of time and people management, Alan and his colleagues managed to get in three rounds of rapid-fire questions in a 2½-hour slot in Committee Room Three. This gave Senator Rónán Mullen a chance to get all his misgivings about the national broadcaster off his chest with persistent questioning about RTÉ 'groupthink' and the feeling many people have that the national broadcaster does not reflect the perspectives of 'a silenced significant minority in this country'. Some people believe there is 'a strong systemic bias in favour of so-called progressive points of view'. Whatever about audience research, do RTÉ ever do any 'staff research' to ascertain if 'too many people think the same way about certain things in your organisation'? Kevin Bakhurst was rather taken aback by this. 'I think that would be a little bit North Korean.' But that didn't stop Rónán, who came back later to suggest an 'audit' of staff to find out if there is 'an excessive' sameness of opinion. 'I'm not going to ask people in RTÉ what their religious or political views are,' replied the DG. 'I didn't mention religious,' shot back Rónán. Perish the thought. 'You could do an audit and you could do it confidentially.' The DG repeated that RTÉ is 'not a North Korean broadcaster'. Wouldn't that be brilliant, though. Professional journalists and management heads hauled into a Donnybrook star chamber so an expert in Dublin 4 wokery could hit them with Mattie McGrath's historic demand from 2023. He shouted it at deputy DG Adrian Lynch at the height of the flip-flop/Tubsgate interrogations. 'Who are ya lyal to?' 'Who am I lying to?' 'No. Who are ya lyal to. Lyal.' 'Oh, loyal. Loyal, loyal, loyal.' Indeed. Now Galwegian Rónán Mullen wants a Spanish Arch Inquisition. Who are those left-wingers in Montrose loyal to? [ RTÉ confirms €3.6m write down on partly abandoned IT project Opens in new window ] Meanwhile, supersleuth Kelly wanted to know if the organisation shared its statements with the Government's Department of Media before appearing. These statements had important detail on who knew what and when about the write-down of more than €3.5 million on an IT system which didn't come up to scratch. This embarrassing loss was politely referred to as 'the impairment' by the witnesses. After much muttering and stuttering all round, it seems that they did share statements. But the committee was told this is not uncommon. Anyway, Alan asked if anybody knew about this huge loss – way more than the Toy Show The Musical flop or a well-known presenter's emoluments set them back – 'when we were sitting here and talking about Ryan Tubridy'. Well, they were and they weren't. An unexpected bonus for the committee popped up last week when reports surfaced about newsroom ructions over a short promotional video currently being shot to showcase RTÉ's excellent newsgathering operation. 'I've never had so many phone calls about an issue, to be honest,' said the committee chairman. Most of them, one assumes, from those many staffers in the newsroom who are not apparently 'livid' over this promo, as their observant leadership team continues to insist. [ Dismay among RTÉ staffers as broadcaster hires actors to play journalists in 'make-believe' ad campaign Opens in new window ] Nothing to see here, stressed newsroom boss Deirdre McCarthy, deferring to the Marketing side for further explanation. Kevin Bakhurst is 'very irritated' by the ongoing coverage. Lookit. There were 'only two plants' brought in to take the bare look off the newsroom and he would expect 'our highly professional promotions team' to do a great job putting the promo together. He thinks it will cost less than €100,000. Those hacks in Montrose must be hallucinating when they talk of seeing way more than two plants in their run-down newsroom where normally ne'er a bit of greenery is to be seen. As for sending a crew to Brussels to film a segment with distinguished Europe reporter Tony Connelly, the two witnesses who might have been expected to say how many went couldn't remember off the top of their heads. A question from Chap Cleere on the hiring of 'diverse extras' for the advert got a fuzzy response. It's all a storm in a teacup, insist the Montrose leadership class. Coming in at under €100k is a good result, apparently. Imagine what the cost could have been if RTÉ didn't have a long-established Promotions Department, staffed by full-time producers and directors who are employed to create these high-profile adverts. Instead, said the DG and his deputy, the only outside cost incurred was for a camera crew as all their own people were otherwise engaged. But then, as the session progressed, things began to unravel a little under some gentle questioning from Senator Garret Ahearne and chairman Kelly. Hirings widened out to cameras, technicians and sound. People would like to see the organisation invest money 'in the creative sector outside RTÉ rather than bring all resources in-house', said Bakhurst. Was the production not run in-house? 'Well, the production team running it are in-house and standard practice would be to get expertise whether it be camera crews or sound people or whatever from outside ...' Clear as mud.
RTÉ News
27-05-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
RTÉ marketing campaign 'doesn't sit right'
A marketing campaign being filmed for RTÉ, using actors and props in the newsroom, "just doesn't sit right", the chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on Media has said. Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Alan Kelly said it seems to be "absolutely ridiculous" that RTÉ is presenting something "that isn't real". The NUJ Dublin Broadcasting Newsroom Chapel has written to RTÉ management asking for production of the advert to be paused pending further discussion with staff representatives. The advert, which was filmed in the past few weeks, purports to highlight a day in the life of the newsroom. Actors were used in the filming, rather than all RTÉ journalists, and the decor was changed, despite a refurbishment of the newsroom currently under way. Mr Kelly said trust was lost in RTÉ a number of years ago and is being slowly built back up and asked why the broadcaster would use actors or misrepresent the actual environment in which journalistic work takes place. "Workers who are working in your environment, whether in front of camera, behind the camera, they all know the environment they're working in. "They all know what they have to deal with, day in, day out, and presenting something that isn't actually the real deal or close to it; where actors have been brought in, where props have been brought in for something is presented as if this is RTÉ ... I mean it's just not a good way of doing it," he said. RTÉ is to appear before the committee tomorrow to discuss matters relating to policy, governance, expenditure and administration at the broadcaster. RTÉ is the first organisation to be invited to appear before the committee during this Dáíl term. Mr Kelly also said the committee will ask RTÉ executives how an €3.6 million write-down for an IT project in RTÉ came about. Earlier this month, the broadcaster confirmed it had written down the figure on the partly failed IT system, which was one of the projects funded from the proceeds of the sale of land at its Dublin site in 2017. Mr Kelly said he did not believe there was an attempt to hide the write-off but added there was not an attempt to make it public. "I would challenge anyone to go through those (reports) forensically and be able to see it," he said.
Irish Times
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Dismay among RTÉ staffers as broadcaster hires actors to play journalists in ‘make-believe' ad campaign
As a TV company, RTÉ is blessed with in-house expertise to call upon when management decides to shoot an advertising campaign, because these things can be horrendously expensive. So naturally, when the Morkeshing and Commorcial hotshots in Montrose decided to film a slick new promo for RTÉ News, they hired in an outside company to make it. The company brought in props to make the shabby newsroom look habitable and employed young actors as journalists and production staff to swan about in the background. 'People are furious. There's ructions going on now. A stream of senior people have been in to management protesting about this ad,' said one staffer, adding that people are up in arms over an 'insulting' and 'misleading' attempt to promote its high-quality news operation. READ MORE For God's sake, don't tell Media Minister Patrick O'Donovan about this. He's already enduring sleepless nights worrying about wasteful spending. Or Alan Kelly , pugnacious new Chair of the Oireachtas Media Committee. They'll go ballistic. The brought-in film crew arrived about a week or so ago and gave the newsroom a glitzy makeover, in the way a tired old house might be 'staged' for viewings to impress prospective buyers. But it's the newsroom makeover that has really annoyed everyone 'They brought lovely potted plants and installed desk dividers to make the place look less s**tty. They put in fancy lighting and a shiny new coffee machine to go with their shiny actors. And when they were finished they took everything away.' There is 'UPROAR', reported one witness. Comparisons have been made with that infamous incident in 1982 when Fianna Fáil's Ray Burke, then minister for the environment, arranged for trees and shrubs to be planted in a Dublin housing estate ahead of a bye-election. When the Fianna Fáil candidate lost, he sent in the local authority to dig them all up. 'I'm surprised this didn't get into the papers much earlier because people are so f**king annoyed, to be honest,' says one of our journalistic confidants. 'I know for a fact that certain people went into the management offices to give out hell about it.' It is not lost on staff that RTÉ very recently launched, with quite the fanfare, 'a new strand of coverage called Clarity to counter false and fake news'. A forerunner to this was its 'Truth matters' campaign. 'People are being given a false impression of what a newsroom is. There is a lack of authenticity here, which is very concerning. Not to mention how it looks using an external company, given all that's happened in the past.' The ad was filmed in the newsroom, in Studio Three and in the production gallery. Things got even worse when the crew pitched up this week in the gallery, the nerve-centre, during live broadcasts. 'The normal people were there in their seats when in comes one of the suits. He says: 'It's all women. Can we not have a man in here?' That didn't go down well. So they stuck one of the marketing guys between the director and the vision mixer. That just put the tin hat on it.' At one point in the ad, an actor posing as a studio runner hands Six-One anchor Sharon Tobin a cup of coffee. It might happen in the movies, but that never happens for any newsreaders in RTÉ. But it's the newsroom makeover that has really annoyed everyone. 'This is all make-believe. We've had a rodent infestation. There aren't any plants. There is no coffee machine. We've been asking for dividers in the office because there is no privacy. It's a s**thole. Someone was hospitalised recently when a tile fell off the ceiling and hit them on the head.' They could have nipped over to the Fair City set and borrowed a coffee machine from The Hungry Pig An RTÉ spokeswoman told The Irish Times on Thursday that while RTÉ, like any media organisation, doesn't comment on internal staff meetings, it would be factually incorrect to state there was a 'row/dispute' at that day's editorial meeting. 'Some lively differences of opinion' was how one person put it to us. We asked a real RTÉ journalist why the company needs a private outfit to make this advert. Could the national broadcaster not rise to it? They could have nipped over to the Fair City set and borrowed a coffee machine from The Hungry Pig. 'Of course we f**king could. We're a f**king television company! Of course we f**king could. But those f**kwits in the commercial end think they know better.' RTÉ is before the Media Committee on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the strong rumour from Montrose yesterday is that the advert may be iced in light of the overwhelmingly negative response by the already put-upon staff. Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy launching the 2025 Duncannon Festival with the help of pupils from St Oliver's National School in Co Wexford. Photograph: Dave Sones. Verona must wish Dáil deputies were as charming as schoolchildren It's a brave politician who would pose for photographs under the skull and crossbones while wearing a pirate's hat, so fair play to Verona Murphy, who was game enough to do just that on Monday night. Then again, as Ceann Comhairle, she's no stranger to dressing up. And the pleasant company of a few young pirates must have been a nice change from all those old cowboys in Leinster House. A former member of the Lowry buccaneers, Verona was in her element when she boarded 'The Danny', an old inshore fishing boat that now sits at the entrance to the picturesque Wexford seaside village of Duncannon. Verona is a near neighbour from Ramsgrange and is something of a celebrity around these parts. She was drafted in to launch the return of the annual Duncannon festival, joined by a bloodthirsty pirate crew from the local St Oliver's National School. It goes without saying that the schoolchildren were far better behaved than the crowd Verona has to put manners on in Leinster House. The one-day festival is on Saturday July 26th this year. It used to be a three-day weekend event before Covid put the kibosh on it. The packed programme includes sea and land-based family activities, a local food and craft market and tours of the scenic shoreline and historic military fort. The band Controversial All Stars will perform on the village green (they played the Irish zone during the Paris Olympics) and an offshore firework display will round off the day. A lucky pirate, Verona will not face the prospect of walking the plank at the next election. As Ceann Comhairle, she is guaranteed a seat in the next Dáil. Hayes's long-awaited speaking debut gets tetchy Suspended Social Democrat TD Eoin Hayes has broken his duck. The last of the new intake to do it, he's finally delivered his maiden speech to the Dáil, six months after he was elected. Three party colleagues were in the chamber when he spoke – Wicklow TD Jennifer Whitmore, Jen Cummins of Dublin South-Central and Dublin Central TD Gary Gannon, along with Labour TD George Lawlor, while a number of his supporters watched from the visitors' gallery. Quite a crowd for an unglamorous Topical Questions session during the late afternoon wasteland of a Thursday Dáil sitting. Eoin, who is still a member of the Soc Dems, remains suspended from the parliamentary party indefinitely (although the parliamentary party briefly and rather shamelessly counted him in to aid the party in the divvy out of Committee chairs) for misleading colleagues over when he sold shares in a company providing services for the Israeli military. There are divided views within the parliamentary party about his status and some members are understood to want his suspension lifted. The currently independent deputy for Dublin Bay South thanked the 'many TDs' who 'have been so welcoming to me since the start of the Dáil term'. He also thanked his partner and family, his campaign workers, Dáil staff and the constituents who voted for him. [ It's a strange day in the Dáil when a schoolgirl makes the Government squirm with embarrassment Opens in new window ] [ What does Trump's 50% EU tariff threat mean for Ireland? Opens in new window ] He raised the issue of Ireland's dependence on multinational companies, referring to a UCD report describing the domiciling of intellectual property assets by multinationals here as a $1 trillion 'tax mirage'. He called for the Government to deal with this 'incredible concentration of risk in the public finances' as it is 'fundamentally distortive of the Irish economy'. Minister of State for Finance Robert Troy congratulated him on his maiden speech. 'I didn't expect to be saying that at this stage,' he said. Eoin expressed surprise that this academic study on the 'potentially catastrophic decline in the State's resources' doesn't appear to have merited a mention in the Dáil. 'There's something deeply problematic with that.' Robert got a bit sniffy about that. 'I find it somewhat bizarre that you're critical that it's the first time this has been raised in the Dáil, and you're here six months yourself and it's the first time you spoke'. 'You haven't brought it up either,' said Eoin, to murmurs of support from colleagues. Comforting words for Rory Hearne after missing deadline When Rory Hearne, the Social Democrats TD for Dublin North-West, was elected last year he joined Sinn Féin's Eoin O'Broin as the Dáil's second housing guru. Before politics called, Rory was an associate professor/senior lecturer in social policy in Maynooth University and a much-published expert on housing. He joined the Dáil at a good time. He knows all about housing and housing deadlines – the hot topic in Leinster House at the moment. Naturally, he is now a member of the joint committee on housing. At its Tuesday meeting, he confessed to missing a major housing deadline of his own. Rory had hoped to get a nomination for the position of deputy chair but he confessed to submitting his name after the closing time. 'I don't know if I can be considered?' he asked hopefully. Chairperson Micheál Carrigy couldn't oblige, as the time was agreed by members 'and we need to start our work in the vein that what we agreed is agreed'. The only nominee, Fianna Fáil's Séamus McGrath, got the gig. Eoin Ó Broin comforted his rueful colleague. 'It's a poisoned chalice. You've dodged a bullet.' Politicians put their best foot forward in kickabout TDs and senators took to the turf at the Aviva stadium on Thursday afternoon for a kickabout with FAI officials and sponsors. About 20 of them, organised by gaffer Pa Daly, the Sinn Féin TD for Kerry, assembled for a number of 20-minute eight-a-side games. The teams were mixed and the politicians faced each other in the hotly contested matches. The session came about after the FAI's recent visit to Leinster House where the grassroots development and proposed changes in match scheduling were discussed. Afterwards, Pa suggested the FAI might arrange a friendly game with a Dáil and Seanad selection. The number of politicians signing up to play has grown since their last run-out against prisoners from Mountjoy's progress unit. Fianna Fáil TD for Louth, Erin McGreehan, was the only female TD politician to tog out. She was involved in controversy early doors when party colleague, Peter 'Chap' Cleere from Carlow-Kilkenny, steamed in with an overzealous sliding tackle and sent her flying. But Erin had the last laugh with a terrific volleyed goal on the brink of half-time. In a sterling performance, Conor Murphy, the former finance minister in Northern Ireland, advanced the cause for an All Ireland team with a parsimonious approach to defence. Mayo's Paul Lawless of Aontú, a former professional with Derby county, showed off his silky skills while Brian Brennan, Fine Gael TD for Wicklow-Wexford, established his credential as having gone to five world cups. Labour's Ged Nash, Fianna Fáil's Paidi O'Sullivan, Fine Gael's Frankie Feighan and Sinn Féin's Pat Buckley also impressed.
Irish Independent
23-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Tipperary taxi driver speaks out as getting a lift is ‘literally impossible' in rural Ireland – ‘Socialising has gone completely'
With only 25 taxis left in Clonmel, locals say nightlife and essential travel are vanishing as post-Covid struggles and rising costs cripple the industry. Today at 07:24 Trying to get a taxi in large parts of rural Ireland is literally impossible, and new solutions are needed so country people can enjoy a night out, a Tipperary TD has said, as a local taxi driver shared what his sector is going through. Speaking in the Dáil on Tuesday, May 13, Labour Party TD Alan Kelly told junior minister Sean Canney that he has been chasing the issue of taxi licences since 2012. Deputy Kelly suggested solutions such as local publicans joining forces to provide a service to their customers.
Irish Independent
20-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Independent
‘It's a national disgrace' – teenager to start 50-hour protest at Dáil as child disability assessment waiting list continues to soar
An assessment of need (AON) is carried out to identify if a child or young person has a disability, and is designed to identify their health needs as well as service requirements. Once the HSE receives an application, there is a legal requirement for the AON to be completed within six months. The total number of applications overdue for completion at the end of March stood at 15,296 – an 8pc rise on the end of last year. Last week, the Irish Independent revealed that just 7pc of assessments are being carried out within the legally required timeframe of six months. In response to a parliamentary question from Labour TD Alan Kelly, the HSE said that demand for AONs continues to outstrip system capacity, despite increases in activity and commissions from private assessors. The HSE anticipates that by the end of the year there could be as many as 24,796 AONs due for completion. Cara Darmody (14) is staging a 50-hour protest outside Leinster House from 10am today, against the backlog in the system. The disability rights campaigner will be supported by what she calls her 'coalition of the willing' made up of a combined opposition of Sinn Féin, Labour, Social Democrats, People Before Profit-Solidarity, Independent Ireland, Aontú and others. Cara, from Ardfinnan, Co Tipperary, said the Disability Act has been 'broken' for almost a decade. 'It is a national disgrace and an international embarrassment in how we treat children in Ireland with autism or intellectual disabilities. It must end – right here, right now.' ADVERTISEMENT Cara was initially motivated to pursue her advocacy because her two brothers Neil (12) and John (8) have autism and intellectual disabilities. She said they were 'both failed dramatically by the State' in relation to the assessments and services they received. 'Every single day in our house is a struggle, and my mam and dad often go days without getting any sleep whatsoever.' However, she stressed that her advocacy is focused on the national picture rather than solely on her brothers' experiences. 'There are thousands of children rotting on waiting lists and thousands of families who are struggling and too scared to stand up to the Government,' she said. The combined opposition will bring a motion before the Dáil tonight, coinciding with Cara's demonstration, calling for an emergency fund to clear the backlog and to provide children with the assessments they are entitled to. The Government will not oppose the motion, but will promise to bring in wholesale changes to the AON system. Children's Minister, Norma Foley, is expected to say that legislation will be brought forward this year. Other reforms, including hiring more therapists will be 'progressed as quickly as possible'.
