ONE OF RTÉ’s best-known broadcasters called in live to a TV3 chat show to clarify comments which she claims were misrepresented in an interview… on RTÉ’s website.
In an interview carried by RTÉ.ie’s ‘TEN’ entertainment section yesterday, mother-of-eight O’Callaghan said children would not be as happy when their mothers were working.
“Women like me, who work outside the home, are fooling themselves and pretending that the kids are just as happy when we’re working, but that’s just a fallacy,” her remarks read.
The piece – headlined “Miriam: Mums should stay at home” – was later deleted from the RTÉ.ie website, and replaced with another edition titled “My guilt as a working Mum – Miriam”. A cached copy of the original story remains available through Google.
Before the story was edited, though, the ‘Saturday Night with Miriam’ host had taken to Twitter to explain that the interview’s title was a “totally incorrect interpretation” of her views, which were that working during motherhood was “all about personal choice”.
Her comments led to a discussion on TV3′s Midday show this afternoon – prompting O’Callaghan to call the station herself (call begins at 11’20″) and explain her stance further.
“Somebody put up a headline, but I’ve never ever in my life – ever – said women should stay at home and mind their kids,” O’Callaghan offered.
“What I’ve always said is that it’s not easy, but the most important thing is that women band together and that there’s never a division between women who work out of the home and women who work in the home.
“Personally I think working in the home is the hardest work of all… all I said was, I think sometimes we pretend our children are just as happy – but as I’ve got older I’ve acknowledged… that my kids want me to be there.
“Even if I didn’t need to work, I would work. I always think it’s just about the choice. So the notion that I ever said mums should stay is home is just ludicrous,” she said.
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