RTÉ journalist Fran McNulty speaking with an Irish Water protester in Phibsborough, Dublin 7, after she and other protesters discovered he was secretly filming them on Tuesday
Last night, RTÉ journalist Fran McNulty did a report for Prime Time on the Irish Water protest on Wednesday and a general piece on the protesters.
During his segment he spoke to two meter installers, without identifying them, the contractor they work for or where they’ve been installing meters.
He also travelled to Mullingar where he met a so-called ‘water meter fairy’ – a person who removes water meters for those who don’t wish to have them, for free.
This man was also not identified.
As for the secret footage of the protesters in Dublin 7, Mr McNulty reported that he witnessed no intimidation of the water meter installers by the protesters.
From last night’s show…
“It’s so unpredictable when you get somebody who comes out with a knife, starts waving it in front of you, golf clubs, baseball bats, a hatchet, you know, swinging these things, breaking windows, slashing tyres, you’re on edge, kind of, you’re kind of more conscious of what you do and where you go, even to the shop, going home at night, you’re kind of watching your back…One particular time, at the traffic lights, a car pulled up beside me and they just asked me to roll down the window, I thought they were looking for directions and they spat into my face. There’s a different element in these protests right now and it seems to be organised and a small group that you continuously see during these protests that they, in turn, the people that do that [makes a gun gesture by pointing this two fingers to his head] to your head and tell you, ‘get out of town’ you know, that they’ll recognise you. And it could potentially get worse you know…It’s my job like, I’ve a wife and a child and a mortgage. I need the job so, you know, work isn’t that plenty.”
– A water meter installer
“Oh, they come in groups, maybe two or three together in groups and they come in in a car and they knock on all those doors and they come ahead of us, maybe knocking on doors, and then they get everybody else standing out behind them and then they get, then they get people standing out in front of us and then they pull barriers down and if there’s a young people they say they’ll get them also to pull everything down and, by the time the gardai comes then, the whole thing is in disarray.”
– A water meter installer
Water Meter’Fairy’: “I’ve been doing quite a few around Mullingar, Edenderry and places like that, Kinnegad and a few places. Mostly from people who are concerned because the meters can be removed so easily. In the last three or four weeks, [he had] about 60 [call outs]..I’m totally aware of the Water Services Act and that I can go to jail for removing them but I also feel that the way the meters are installed, they’re a danger to the Government.”
Fran McNulty: “What’s the difference between what you’re doing, you’re taking out a meter which is screwed into the water pipe and you’re just screwing in a blank cap, there’s no difference, you’re not improving safety.”
‘Fairy’: “Am I not, there’s a huge difference. It means that if somebody comes along here at 3 o’clock in the morning, to this lady’s home, they will have to have a two-foot bar like you have seen.”
McNulty: “But sure you could buy that in any hardware store, you’re not massively improving safety here.”
‘Fairy’: “I’m improving it by 50% but it’s to highlight the issue here and we’re hoping that Irish Water will do something and put it back to being a sealed unit, find some other way of doing their metering.”
Previously: Meanwhile, In Stoneybatter
Watch back in full here
Every single water meter installer must be a government shill. That’s the only logical explanation broadsheet’s merry band of anti water charge commenters must make.
Bodger – fair play though- a balanced article on this issue. Good to see.
Water meter protesters appear to be lacking in the IQ department. They’re far more retarded than I had originally thought.
Thank god I’m fully signed up to Irish Water. I’m asking all my friends to do the same and I haven’t heard one complaint from them.
Maybe when you’re relying on state benefits (like the majority of Water protestors are), they need to cling on extra hard so they can continue suckling on the teet of this government’s social welfare budget.
I’ll ignore the rest of your statement and just ask you to think about using “retarded” as a slur.
Or just ignore the troll completely
What do you think I am, retarded or something???
Though yes, you’re absoschmutely right.
Well, Nicky, as a first attempt at trolling I suppose we should give you some marks for effort. Much room for improvement, though. Keep at it, you’ll get there if you work really hard.
This is far from Nicola’s first attempt. She really should be getting better by this stage. No subtlety.
C-
Just to clarify Nicola
I don’t rely or even receive a State Benefit ( other than statutory tax reliefs),
And I’m against IW and this sham Government.
Also, you have just abused those in receipt of entitlements, like pensions.
Your ignorance is truly astounding.
Actually her knowledge of the old ‘when did you stop beating your wife’ trick seems extensive.
If FG are going to pay people to patrol social media, you’d think they’d go the extra mile and find moderately intelligent ones.
I’m a director of two companies. I work far harder than you could know but I found the time to protest on Wednesday.
if you love paying random makey-up taxes, why not just give more. they wont accept it, but u could just leave envelopes full of money thru the gates of the government buildings.
such a crude fool
Methinks the lady doth protest to much.
And yeah, super meanypants using such a word.
Oops: that was for Nicola.
“Nicola” – if that even is his real name.
It’s Barry. I know that for a fact*.
*I do not know this for a fact.
Bunch of wankers
He’s doing nothing wrong – the lad driving the car was though
Nothing good every comes from RTE secretly filming….oh hang on.
Funny how they were able to get that report on air in less time it take me to iron a shirt
Yet they sat on the Swine’ ford footage for months
Have we now reached a stage where a TV Licence boycott would have the same support as the resistance to Irish Water’s progress?
RTÉ move fast on a topical news story and somehow this is suspicious?
And the abuse in Swine’ ford didn’t deserve to be fast tracked?
Why?
I’ve no idea. Maybe there were legal reasons. Maybe it was a scheduling thing and other Prime TIme stories were higher priority. I’m not privy to their editorial process.
Legal
Legal
Legal
Legal
It’s always always always about legal reasons. You can trust me on this.
RTE are liars. Couldn’t trust a single one of them.
So the abuses they exposed in créches and nursing homes never happened?
Well they have now allowed me to question what other stories and investigations they have in the can, what other reports of abuse and law breaking that are in the public interest, that they can roll out to act as cloud cover for this government.
Who else in our communities are been abused?
Who else in our communities are abusing our citizens?
What other agencies are squandering millions to serve themselves via pay pensions and perks and delivering zero service?
What
Who
Where and when
What else have RTE been holding back on so they can assist this sham Government?
the irish water undercover school , they cant even get that right !
The sinister ginge…
But not really.
why would you bother watching anything from RTE? it was setup to be a balanced organ. Fupp Balance what about truth?
You know what, if they where doing nothing wrong they’d have nothing to worry about, infact it would probably show them in decent light, that filming is also of the installers and I do not believe for a second if RTE got something they could put up in lights on GMC or anyone else they wouldn’t use it.
I’m tired of 10 second clips showing part of something happening and then someone with an agenda writing “F*in Guards, he did nothing wrong” or “Driver ran a red light and nearly killed a cyclist” or any other bull sh*t like this.
If you are trying to fool me its not working, if its legit I don’t believe you if you have an agenda. If you are a complete hippy I might just sign up for the water charges to spite you.
I’m tired of people with agendas that are not willing to talk things out, I’m not saying you have to fold, but listen to everything before making a decision, I’m tired of people using any rumor they hear as ammunition for their agenda, I’m tired of people who are uneducated misinterpreting things and using that as further ammunition and when you try to explain it to them they will not engage, it just makes them look stupid. I’m tried of these people then trying to bully their ill thought out opinion on you… If I’m wrong and I want to be wrong that is my choice, I’m tired of this you are with me or against me bull sh*t
If I want to pay for water that it also my choice (I don’t by the way) but Jesus don’t tell me what to do you are not my mother, I will not force my opinions on you… and I will not call you an idiot just because you don’t not agree with them. I will however let you know what they are and I might think you are an idoit but I won’t bully you because of it.
I actually feel better after that.
I hear ya, but it’s not just the “uneducated” you should be ranting about. Just because a person has a third level education it doesn’t automatically mean they are intelligent. Plenty of goons out there with degrees and no intelligence.
I stand corrected, you are right, its scary.
It is good to get a good rant out tho :)
Then you are tired of the internet!
I kinda am, anything that has comments anyway… I need to get this internet addiction sorted out I think.
Just don’t look at the bottom half of the internet. You’ll be alright kid!
“You know what, if they where doing nothing wrong they’d have nothing to worry about”
You see, starting your rant with this line stains anything you say afterwards, even if what you have to say is valid.
Are you an apologist for Government mass surveillance on their citizens?
“I’m tired of people with agendas that are not willing to talk things out, I’m not saying you have to fold, but listen to everything before making a decision, I’m tired of people using any rumor they hear as ammunition for their agenda, I’m tired of people who are uneducated misinterpreting things and using that as further ammunition and when you try to explain it to them they will not engage, it just makes them look stupid. I’m tried of these people then trying to bully their ill thought out opinion on you… If I’m wrong and I want to be wrong that is my choice, I’m tired of this you are with me or against me bull sh*t”
Welcome to Broadsheet. “Shiiiiiiill!!” etc etc