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COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER PAT Rabbitte has said that there were no resignations sought or offered by the board of RTÉ this morning following a meeting in the wake of the BAI’s report into the Mission to Prey programme.
RTÉ said that Rabbitte had indicated there should be no changes on the board following the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland’s report into the Prime Time Investigates programme which libelled Fr Kevin Reynolds.
According to RTÉ Radio, Rabbitte said that he was was satisfied that the board fully appreciates the seriousness of the situation and said that no excuses were offered during the meeting this morning which lasted over two hours.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting he described the Mission to Prey programme as an “egregious error”. Quoted on RTÉ Radio, he said there was “no attempt by the board of RTÉ to defend what happened”.
“The chairman described it as inexplicable and indefensible and some other members of the board used a lot stronger terms. I’m satisfied that the board fully appreciates the seriousness of what has happened,” he said.
“The board attempted to offer no excuse for what happened. The board accepts that it ought not to have happened and that it did damage not just to the reputation of Fr Reynolds but did damage to the reputation of RTÉ.”
Rabbitte had called the meeting in the wake of the BAI’s findings that RTÉ had breached the broadcasting code in its production of a programme which defamed Fr Reynolds. RTÉ later retracted and apologised for allegations made as well as paying damages to the priest.
The State broadcaster was fined €200,000 by the authority with the reporter who worked on the story, Aoife Kavanagh, resigning from RTÉ following the report’s publication.
As well as axing the new Prime Time Investigates format, new journalism guidelines were introduced at the station. RTÉ said on Friday that “a great deal has changed in recent months” and pledged that “more will change as we embed the new structures”.
On top of Kavanagh’s departure, programme makers Brian Pairceir and Ken O’Shea were transferred out of the news and current affairs department in RTÉ while producer Mark Lappin now works for CNN in London. The former Head of News, Ed Mulhall, took a retirement package.
Following the publication of the report carried out by former BBC executive Anna Carragher on Friday, Rabbitte described the Mission to Prey programme as “a shoddy, unprofessional, cavalier, and damaging piece of work”.
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Poor sleeping on the streets but £50,000 spent on a wedding cake.
Markle’s dress cost more than fire-proof cladding would’ve for Grenfell, but the latter was somehow “too expensive”.
@eastsmer:
So in a country as large a Britain it’s not possible to do two things at the same time?
I know it pi**es off the Republicans among us but the fact is the vast majority of British people would want the fire proof cladding AND the dress to be bought.
@P.J. Nolan:
But two things did not happen at the same time.
@eastsmer:
That’s correct and the reason for that is what this enquiry is all about. My point is your statement is whataboutery of the finest order, one decision had nothing to do with the other.
@P.J. Nolan: “whataboutery” – tell that to the relatives
@P.J. Nolan: the man was making a valid point but of course whataboutery strikes again
@eastsmer: Ridiculous comparison and in reality the Royal family cost their country a lot less than they make for it. As for the wedding I’d imagine what the media paid to cover it more than paid for the event not to mention the influx of tourists for it.
@eastsmer: and your point is?
@eastsmer: the fire happened before the wedding there is no connection between these events, the Royal family have nothing to do with fire safety last time I looked, its the failure of a number of separate organisations. Your comment is just plain stupid.
@eastsmer: Correct. but don’t upset the flagwavers. they just love to be put in their place. it gives them purpose.
Awful just awful. Think of the fear the poor people went through.
I was in Manchester the day before the wedding. Not the slightest interest in it that i could see.
A completely valid and very pertinent comparison of the inequality in the lives of the super rich and the great mass of those who must struggle every day.
Not one perpetrator of the deaths in Grenfell tower has been arrested or charged. Not one.
@PV Nevin: Thank you PV Nevin – that is the comparison that I was trying to make.
I don’t wish to downgrade their ‘royal’ family if that is what floats their boats, however surely priorities can be shifted towards the less well off.
@eastsmer: i agree completely with your comparison. Was it not the arrogance of Kensington council, the regulators, the constructiton company and the materials company towards the poor that led to the massacre?
With regard to the monarchy, I believe the relentless propaganda of the media promotes a lie that there is not mass hatred for all the rich, including the royalty.
@PV Nevin: ___ Nothing’s changed as far as the super rich and the mere mortals are concerned. Basically, people still get what they’re given, usually by people who would never dream of living in those places.
@PV Nevin: Isn’t that why they’re having an inquiry ?
@PV Nevin: the investigation is not over yet so how can anyone be arrested or charged?
Our largest fire tragedy was a single storey nightclub.. The caravans in carrickmines were pretty far from high rise..
30 apt in 16, storey ballymun tower were destroyed with no injury..
It’s standards, vigilance and care that save lives..
And they want to build high rise in Dublin.
@Cranky: Yeah let’s not build any high rise anywhere else now because one went on fire.
@Cranky: whats that got to do with it?
Eco green energy saving insulation is actively encouraged, and you can get grants for installing it ..in reality it is flamable cladding ,
Next time you pass a building being coated in foam blocks look at the ground, pick up a piece of foam (litter will be all over the site) then do your own fire test.. you don’t need a Phd in physics..
Then wonder why we have fire regulations, and fire officers..
I hope they knock the place down and trun it into a monument to all those poor souls.
have your say