Tag Archives: RTE

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Former Catholic Archbishop Richard Burke outside the Four Courts in Dublin

 

“Paul O’Higgins SC, for RTÉ, read a statement on behalf of the broadcaster which said RTÉ had said that in the programme it alleged Richard Burke had sexual relations with a girl, Dolores Atwood, who was under-age. RTÉ accepted it had incorrectly stated in the programme that Mr Burke had declined to be interviewed for the programme and for that it apologises, the statement said.”

“It said RTÉ acknowledged Mr Burke has “consistently and vehemently” denied the allegations and has done so throughout his evidence at the hearing. The statement said Dolores Atwood stands over her allegations and RTÉ considers her a sincere and honourable person. RTÉ and Mr burke agreed the matter is now closed.”

Ex-archbishop settles case against RTÉ over Mission to Prey (Irish Times)

Related: ‘Priest assaulted me when I was 13’ (Irish Examiner)

angelus

It tolls for thee.

Or does it?

Atheist Ireland, which campaigns for the separation of church and state, said the national broadcaster’s plan to retain the 18 peals of the Angelus bell during the “moment of reflection”, as well as continuing to call it the Angelus, amounted to the “facilitation of Catholic pre-evangelisation”.
It said RTÉ’s plan contravened the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland’s code of programme standards and called on the station to reconsider its plans for the slot in order to make it “genuinely inclusive”.

Atheist Ireland criticises RTÉ’s Angelus revamp (Irish Times)

Atheist Ireland (Facebook)

(RTÉ)

DUB+Dublin+-+Four+Courts+and+River+Liffey+from+Merchants+Quay+05+3008x2000

This morning

Justice Donal Binchy, in the High Court, has refused to lift an injunction preventing RTÉ from reporting information about Denis O’Brien and IBRC.

RTÉ’s Vivienne Traynor told Seán O’Rourke earlier:

“RTÉ had argued there was no point anymore in this injunction, that everything was in the public domain and the effect of the order continuing was like holding a sword of Damocles over RTE and the entire media.

The judge [Donald Binchy] disagreed, he said today in this 11-page judgement that the court was being asked to lift orders in relation to documentation and information which was unknown and which may or may not already be in the public domain.

Now lawyers for Denis O’Brien were, he noted, no longer objecting to the broadcast or publication of the proposed script because much of that is in the public domain but lawyers for IBRC say some of the script contains legal advice and they were claiming legal professional privilege over that but, firstly, Mr Justice Binchy said that the court was also being asked to recognise that RTÉ had acted responsibly to date and to accept that there was no reason why it would not continue to do so.

And he said that it was indeed the case that RTE had acted responsibly and it was reasonable for the broadcaster to make this application. But notwithstanding the developments which he described as dramatic, he said it did not follow that the court order should not be continued in relation to information that has not yet come into the public domain. ”

He said, on the contrary, the rationale of the original decision of the court still applies in relation to any documentation or information that has not yet come into the public domain and, interestingly Seán, he also said that the defendant, that’s RTÉ, continues to hold confidential information and documents belonging to the plaintiffs, that’s Denis O’Brien and IBRC, and has declined to identify that documentation, in its possession and he said that the plaintiffs had established a convincing case that this documentation is the subject of a right of confidence and if the case proceeds to a full trial and if the plaintiffs succeed, he said, they will obtain orders requiring the return of that documentation aswell as permanent injunctions regarding publication of that information.”

[Denis O’Brien’s lawyers] were saying that, while the information contained in the proposed script was now in the public domain that RTÉ was still in possession of other information and did not say what that information was and they said that the terms of the injunction went beyond simply what the proposed script was.

And the judge agreed and said that the plaintiff shouldn’t have to rely on the good intentions of RTÉ and it wasn’t unreasonable to infer that RTÉ wanted to leave open the possibility that it might want to publish information concerning Mr O’Brien between now and a full hearing of this matter unless restrained from a court by doing so. And he said it wouldn’t be appropriate to vacate the existing order but instead, the correct course of action to take was to amend the order to take account of developments since it was originally made.”

High Court refuses to completely lift O’Brien injunction against RTÉ (RTÉ)

Photocall Ireland

What paragraph?

The ultimate buyer of Siteserv was one of the largest debtors of IBRC. His loans had expired and he had apparently written to Kieran Wallace in his role as Special Liquidator seeking the same terms IBRC had allowed him which was to pay off his loans in his own time and at the same low interest rate.

That one.

Denis O’Brien Granted Reporting Restriction In RTÉ Transaction (Irish Times)

Previously: Bringing The House Down

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Denis O’Brien

You’ll recall how it emerged yesterday that Denis O’Brien was seeking a High Court injunction against RTÉ to prevent a report being broadcast today.

Well.

The matter has been adjourned until Tuesday, May 12.

The Irish Independent reports:

“Businessman Denis O’Brien’s injunction application against RTE over a proposed broadcast report in relation to his private banking affairs has been adjourned on consent between the parties in the High Court. The court heard RTE has in the meantime undertaken not to broadcast certain matters in the report which was due to go out today (Friday May 1). Mr O’Brien says there is no public interest in details in relation to his confidential private banking arrangements with Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC).”

“Michael Collins SC, for IBRC, said his client had a separate but related case against RTE and he sought permission for that to be before the court on May 12 along with the O’Brien proceedings.”

FIGHT!  [REDACTED]

Businessman Denis O’Brien injunction application against RTE adjourned (Irish Independent)

O’Brien’s injunction application adjourned until 12 May (RTE)

Yesterday: Injunct In The Trunk

Timeline To A Killing

Update:

Broadsheet: “Legal Coffee Drinker, what’s it all about?”

Legal Coffee Drinker:“RTÉ agreed the adjournment [until May 12].”

Broadsheet: “But the judge didn’t make any ruling at all.”

LCD: “He didn’t have to.”

Broadsheet:“They caved in?”

LCD: “As per.”

Broadsheet:”Thanks Legal Coffee Drinker.”

LCD: “Don’t mention it.”

Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland

90361612Denis O’Brien

Everyone stay cool.

Too late.

[Barrister] Mr [Michael] Cush handed in two sealed envelopes to the judge [Paul Gilligan], the first of which contained a letter from RTE to Mr O’Brien outlining the fact that work is being carried out by the news department on a report to be broadcast [Tomorrow] Friday, May 1st, but with no time given for when it will go out….
…In the second letter written by Mr O’Brien, it refers to details of particular sums of money representing his indebtedness to Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC) but it is all clearly referable to his personal banking facilities and it is “undoubtedly confidential”, counsel said.

RUN!

Denis O’Brien seeking High Court injunction against RTE in bid to prevent report being broadcast (Tim Healy, Independent.ie)

Related: A Boy Named Sue

Screen-Shot-2015-04-01-at-21.13.11Further to that.

A letter from FEARGUS all the way in Waikanae, New Zealand.

Sir, – I read Una Mullally’s piece “RTÉ referendum memo sends out the wrong message”, (Opinion & Analysis, April 6th) in disbelief. It is many years since I worked in RTÉ but the memo she reports is by my memory quite simply bog standard.

The only difference that separates this version from that issued in my own days there is the onward march of technology, to wit social media, so-called.

I thought the passage of time might have coloured my memory, but no.

I have checked with a friend, a former senior editorial executive, who has assured me that I remain compos mentisand “it’s a restatement of the usual”.

Ms Mullally is outraged. I see the memo differently.

First, it provides a protection to the RTÉ workforce.

Second, and by far the most important aspect of a long-standing policy, it offers – or is intended to offer – some assurance to the Irish public that the organisation and its broadcast services can be trusted to be what public representatives intended when, in 1960 and periodically since, they enacted and amended laws establishing and maintaining RTÉ as a national public service broadcaster. Specifically that voters can trust its coverage during a campaign.

The stopwatch and other aspects of RTÉ’s house policy on electoral and referendum coverage during the official contest period is not only “the usual”, it is necessary. This is not about the Angelus, “young researchers frightened about job security” or any other coats trailed in the piece.

It is about RTÉ and the law (the Broadcasting Acts) and integrity (RTÉ as a public service broadcaster) as they relate to the critical moment of the democratic exercise.

Voters deserve the assurance that neither a very powerful public body nor its staff are being anything other than scrupulously disinterested during the referendum campaign. I don’t know whatThe Irish Times policy is, though it appears to be different, but then it is not a public service. – Yours, etc,

FEARGUS Ó RAGHALLAIGH,

Sound, mind.

RTÉ and Referendum Coverage (Irish Times letters)

Previously: Friends, Colleagues, Freelancers, Cover Your Mouths