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Private child disability assessors were paid €1.3m more than projected
Woman (20s) arrested after €380,000 worth of cannabis seized at Dublin Airport
Two women dead and two children injured following collision in Cork
Kevin Dawson, head of Corporate Communications in RTÉ, said that the payout to Fr Kevin Reynolds was in the region of "seven figures". Eamonn Farrell/Photocall Ireland
RTÉ
BAI inquiry into RTÉ and Fr Kevin Reynolds case is complete
However, Authority won’t make any comment or publish the findings as of yet – it is going to RTÉ “for consideration”.
THE BROADCASTING AUTHORITY of Ireland has said that it is forwarding to RTÉ the findings of an investigation into how Fr Kevin Reynolds was defamed by a Prime Time Investigates programme.
The BAI said that it had met today to discuss the findings by its Compliance Committee and was now giving a copy of the report to RTÉ. It said it had notified RTÉ of its decision on the matter but wouldn’t be commenting any further for the moment.
The national broadcaster has 14 days to respond to the committee’s findings. It may face fines of up to €250,000 under the Broadcasting Act 2009 if the findings outline any breach of its responsibilities under the Act.
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An RTÉ spokesperson this evening told TheJournal.ie that it could not make any comment until it had physically received a copy of the BAI’s findings.
The BAI Compliance Committee met on 13 March to consider its findings on the PTI programme, ‘Mission to Prey’, which was broadcast on 23 May last year, before passing it on to the Board.
It had been alleged in the programme that Fr Reynolds had had a fathered a child with a teenage girl while working as a missionary in Kenya in the 1980s. RTÉ apologised for the allegations in October of last year, saying that they were “baseless, without any foundation whatever and untrue”. Fr Reynolds is now serving as a priest in Ahascragh, Co Galway.
RTÉ paid “undisclosed” damages to him last November in the High Court – but Kevin Dawson, RTÉ’s head of Corporate Communications said that the amount was in the region of “seven figures”.
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It’s really immaterial that RTE paid him off with a ’7 figure sum’. They did huge damage to the man. People had already made up their minds on him and assumed, at the time, that Prime Time Investigates’, ‘must be right’!
Heads should roll. Not just the reporter but the person in charge of the ‘Prime Time Investigates’. RTE needs to know that they cannot threat people like this and get away with it.
The reporting on the Presidential election was another example, not just the debate, everything in every way. It was so obvious that they were hopeful and tried their best to get MD Higgins the vote. I found RTE to be very bias at that time.
What about the false accusation and the person who made it……….that person should be severely punished along with all others who falsely accuse another.It’s a disposable thing to do
I say everyone should refuse to renew their tv licence until proper action is taken against those responsible! It’s time the general public made a stance! The big shots in RTE think they’re untouchable!
Hear, hear. I’m afraid it may be the case that I won’t be able to afford the licence this year anyway! But you certainly do have a point. RTE are just like the ones in power. ‘A law upon themselves’.
Tried a number of times to leave a comment on the Prime Time Investigates comment page for Mission to Prey, shortly after the broadcast. The page contained lots of comments congratulating RTÉ but this comment was not published: [ Comment left on RTÉ Prime Time Investigates blog site in relation to 'Mission to Prey': "Good that more terrible abuse has been brought, in a certain sense, into the light, particularly in the 'forgotten continent'. Strange, however, that the absence of any criminal conviction and the assertion of innocence should be presented as proof of guilt. Not sure also about the producers' confidence in Africa's criminal justice systems -- was under the impression that concerns had been raised, in particular about Uganda's proposed execution of those accused of homosexual rape. A recent documentary on South African prisons also showed the horrific lawlessness that obtains there...Will be following with interest the results of that paternity test. Hope I'll be able to find them easily on the RTE website, whatever the outcome..." ]
Private child disability assessors were paid €1.3m more than projected
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Woman (20s) arrested after €380,000 worth of cannabis seized at Dublin Airport
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