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RTÉ

Ray D’Arcy interview with Graham Linehan and wife over abortion broke broadcasting rules

The interview had to do with the couple’s foetus being diagnosed with a fatal foetal abnormality

A COMPLAINT AGAINST RTÉ’s The Ray D’Arcy Show over an interview dealing with abortion has been mostly upheld by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI).

The complaint had to do with an interview D’Arcy had with the creator of Father Ted Graham Linehan and his wife Helen over their experience of abortion on 19 October of last year.

The interview had to do with their foetus being diagnosed with a fatal foetal abnormality when it was at 12 weeks and the couple had decided to have an abortion.

They were residing in England at the time.

Both Linehans had outlined their story in a video promoting an Amnesty International campaign to decriminalise abortion in Ireland.

A complaint lodged with the BAI stated that the segment had been an “attack on the Eighth Amendment” of the Irish Constitution.

The Eighth Amendment of the constitution grants the equal right to life of the mother and the unborn child.

The complainant argued that the presenter (D’Arcy) did not properly challenge the positions of the guests and “seemed to be largely in agreement with them”.

From the BAI summary of the complaint:

[The complainant] states that the interviews were soft in their approach and largely supportive of the views of the interviewees.
The complainant asks why no balancing views were allowed and if ‘pro-life’ figures are on air, will they be treated to equally soft interviews?

The ruling

In response to the complaint, RTÉ said that the interview was a human interest segment and the focus was the personal trauma endured by the couple.

The broadcaster also said that it had canvassed for a received separate statements from the Pro-Life Campaign as well as Every Life Counts which were read out during the interview.

However, the BAI found that it did not agree with the characterisation of the interview as predominantly human interest in nature.

It noted that the video had been created by the Linehans in support of a campaign to change the Irish Constitution and that this was evident from the comments by both D’Arcy and the Linehans.

The BAI also found that although the personal experiences of the Linehans had made up a significant part of the interview, these experiences were used to “encourage support for the Amnesty International campaign” to repeal the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution.

As the interview was being used to promote a campaign to change the Irish Constitution, it needed to be more impartial and be more balanced, the BAI said.

It also said that the comments received from anti-abortion groups by the programme were only “cursory” and did not constitute enough balance.

The complaint was issued on three sub-sections of the BAl Code of Fairness, Objectivity and Impartiality in News and Current Affairs.

The BAI upheld it on grounds of Section 4.1 and 4.3 of the code – to do with fairness and impartiality.

However, it rejected the complaint on the grounds that the presenter acted in a manner that amounted to the advocating of a partisan view.

Read: Ray D’Arcy show on abortion broke rules on fairness and impartiality

Read: ‘In Ireland, Helen would go to jail’: Graham Linehan speaks of wife’s abortion after fatal foetal diagnosis

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137 Comments
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    Mute BadDrivingIreland
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    Aug 19th 2013, 2:31 PM

    Greed

    74
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    Mute Neil Burke
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    Aug 19th 2013, 2:34 PM

    I wonder if HMRC cut a deal with Vodafone where they just pay the amount of tax which was reclaimed from Revenue. It’s tantamount to HMRC offering the same tax rates as Ireland. It might explain why the amount was not disclosed.

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    Mute Carcu Sidub
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    Aug 19th 2013, 3:46 PM

    So an “Irish” registered multinational company with a turnover of €380 million a year, with no employees for 5 years, made a settlement with a foreign countries tax authorities, 4 years ago.

    Can somebody please explain how exactly this country is not, or at least not viewed as a tax haven? Because by coming to a settlement shows that tax irregularities were been undertaken, at least 4 and more years ago.

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    Mute Michael G O'Reilly
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    Aug 19th 2013, 5:35 PM

    As they say, never believe anything until it has been officially denied !

    14
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    Mute Ollie Owens
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    Aug 19th 2013, 3:10 PM

    It’s ok I am sure we will give it back to them – if the tax was actually paid here

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    Mute James
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    Aug 19th 2013, 7:45 PM

    Tax haven

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    Mute eric grixy
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    Aug 19th 2013, 3:30 PM

    “Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabs” roared Rickie Bruton
    THERE WAS AN INTERESTING RULING IN THE HIGH COURT RECENTLY WHERE VODAFONE HAD A COMREG PRICE REDUCTION QUASHED ; to do with the unique something or other in Ireland it has a direct ethos that can be used to quash the bog closures !

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    Mute Partysauras Rex
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    Aug 19th 2013, 4:28 PM

    Pardon? I didn’t quite catch that.

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    Mute eric grixy
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    Aug 19th 2013, 4:42 PM

    it was a case where European law was over ruled because of the uniqueness of the Ireland ; Precedent is everything in law !
    For example in the original bogland act of the 1750 there was a precedent set of turfcutting rights lasting for 61 years ; therefore any compensation package should last a minimum of 61 years ; sorry off topic but vodafone started it by not hiring anyone in a multi–million industry registered in Ireland ; hence the jibe at the government always going around announcing jobs and millions being added to our tax bill to europe as a result of this turnover being registered in Ireland ;
    I’m sick of corruption , are you ?
    now I’m off to the bog like my father and his father and his father etc. Article 1 defends Irish tradition by the way !

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