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AN EU OFFICIAL whose clash with journalist Vincent Browne at a press conference was televised last week has received “a large number” of abusive emails over the exchange.
A spokesperson for Barbara Nolan, the director of the European Commission Representation in Ireland, confirmed to TheJournal.ie that Ms Nolan had been sent abusive and profane messages.
The spokesperson could not confirm the exact number, but said the figure was substantial. She said such messages were “not acceptable”.
Browne had accused Nolan of attempting to evade his questions at a press conference held by representatives of the EU/ECB/IMF troika on Thursday. The heated exchanges were broadcast on TV3′s Tonight with Vincent Browne that evening, and also appeared on Broadsheet.ie.
The Daily Star reports today that the messages may be linked to the publication of Ms Nolan’s email address by a commenter on Broadsheet. However, the ECR in Ireland spokesperson told TheJournal.ie today that this was speculation.
She said that there were currently no plans to take legal action over the emails, but added that “obviously there is legislation in place” to deal with messages of this kind.
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While I don’t agree with people sending abusive emails, they are easily deleted. However, financially terrorising a country for decades to come won’t be as easy to remove.
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
Si spot on as always. However considering how she appears to misunderstand the meaning of answering a question I’d also question her definition of ‘abusive’. She clearly doesn’t understand that forcing a nation to pay the unsecured debts of bond holders leading unquestionably to the suffering of many and the death of people due to lack of resources is abuse, of power, politics and people. She got off lightly, as have her bond holder buddies, for now
Shame on her and all the other political elite in this country, there maybe be a few good politicians out there and I mean few, but most are only lining there own pockets and making sure they are well setup for retirement. Michael Noonan is a prime example, do you think any of them really care about the low and middle class in this country.
Well said Simon.
I found her patronising tone to Vin B ,who was trying to ask questions on behalf of Ireland, equally unacceptable. As an Irish citizen she should be ashamed of herself. Whilst I would not condone threatening or abusive messages, I do believe this woman should take a good long hard look at herself in the mirror before she calls any other Irish persons thoughts or remarks “abusive”.
I don’t condone abusive e-mail but she would do well to remember she’s an Irishwoman first and an EU lackey second.
To be fair there is no contradiction between being a European and Irish. Many people want the EU to eventually become a federal state in its own right. That does not negate their Irishness, Britishness, Greekness, etc in any way. In this chapter, there is a no major dispute between Dublin and Brussels, but there has been a popular frenzy whipped up which blames Europe for our problems rather than the profligate spending and borrowing this state allowed to take place under its watch. It is not helpful or useful to crow that she must be an Irishwoman first. Why should she? She is obviously as much a European as an Irishwoman and in terms of public utterance, she is just doing her job as the head of the EC office in Dublin
@bernard there are just as many people if not more who don’t want an United states of Europe.
Bernard
I am an Irish woman …
Not European.
Irish first last and always .
Oh, poor parasite. Let’s pass a law where no parasite can ever be offended!
Abusive emails are wrong!! But trying to evade serious questions by Vincent Browne was childish,she wanted to push him aside because he was asking important but direct questions!!!! Good man v/b..
….. and it was uncomfortable. She didn’t like that. That’s where u challenge them. With questions galore that VB had the guts to ask.
Vincent Browne a national treasure , asking the questions of our Troika oppressors our meek politicians too terrified to ask
While sending abusive messages to someone is not right, watching VB the other night made me laugh out loud. He has to be without doubt one of the greatest commentators that has ever graced Irish tv and radio, he calls it as he sees it, no bullsh*t…..
Good man VB, you are one of a very rare breed of tenacious journalist left in Ireland.
The PC pussycat brigade have taken over and the day of a hard and persistant interview seem to be disappearing
Next time, perhaps she will deign to climb down off her EU high horse, and explain why our cash is being spent on a zombie bank?
Thats exactly what it is a zombie bank with the FF and FG LAB AND GREENS with all their investments in ANGLO how could they let it fail ,they would all end up bankrupt and have to resign their positions in the dail ,do the people think they were going to let this happen
Could of or more likely being a PR stunt but Great at least someone stood up and talked about the big pink elephant in the room.Nearly every other journalist(RTE) wont have the balls to because of their 6 figure salary.Great thanks Vincent for taking the words out of my mouth would of said the same if I could of asked a question.Tenner bets that Vincent Browne wont be allowed anywhere near the next EU/IMF press conference.
Ya think his salary ain’t six figures!? Id be very surprised…
@Concor
Its TV3 Conor of course not.
I emailed Barbara Nolan – and I stand over everything I said – if she thinks that abuse then tough luck on her. Email in full:
Dear Barbara Nolan
I was disgusted by your attempts to silence Vincent Browne recently who was merely respresenting the views of the majority of people in his line of questioning.
As an Irish citizen your behaviour was traitorous and if the law permitted it I would have you charged and punished accordingly.
Similarly to Judas Iscariot you have sold your soul for 30 pieces of deutsche mark. Shame on you.
Yours
Rob Mahony
I don’t agree with everything that Rob said above, but that’s pretty much an OK way to phrase it in my book.
Separately I’m more on Vincent’s side about how the questions were asked, my beef was the “how” not the “what”.
She got called out by Vincent Browne and now is licking her wounds. If you consort with wolves expect to get a few bites. Boo hoo. She is a collaborator without an ounce of patriotism.
She should be sent her P45, not abusive emails.She was certainly out of order but then all these EU hangers-on are.
Another distraction from the fact that they wouldn’t give a straight answer to a straight question. I’m sure she lost no sleep over a few poxy emails.
Half the problem was the question wasn’t straight. He rambled and uncharacteristically stumbled over his words. Went on too long and kept on about the taxi driver who drove the ECB official. I couldn’t understand what VB wanted as an answer. He obviously knew though. His 2nd question was a supplementary. He had nothing else lined up. Smacks of arrogance. Poor preparation from such an experienced journalist…
@michael, he wanted a simple answer in laymans terms for the ‘taxi driver’ who IMO represents the vast majority of the middle class working Irish people, Who are left paying the billions and are in complete bafflement as to why!!! Answers (in laymans terms) on a post card.
@ Michael I could follow his questioning very well. Whilst his diction may not be to your standards, I believe that his passion far exceeds that of the average Joe Soap journalist. He is passionate, and gets very irate when his question is not answered. His question was not answered in the video clip I saw. It was straightforward to me “Why are we still being forced to pay back unsecured bonds from Anglo – a bank which has no systemic importance in the Irish Banking system”. I think that is a very fair question and one which I would love to know the answer to. But all he got in return from the Troika representatives was waffle and fluff – and absolutely no substance. And he was having none of it and I applaud him for that. I wish other journalists would be as passionate as he is.
When will we stop looking for the new messiah and get off our asses and actually do something about the unsecured Anglo bond-holders? Oh Vincent, my hero. You’ll sort this out for us poor helpless taxi drivers. The working middle class plain people of this victimised Emerald Isle…
We still haven’t got an answer to the question.
Answer the question and they’ll stop.
Not a valid reason for them to be vitriolic.
My heart bleeds
I said it before and I’ll say it again. The EU is an anti-democratic institution. The sole aim of this vile organisation is to enrich the wealthy and the citizens of the Franco-German axis and to impoverish the periphery of the EU. All Barbara Nolan did in that interview is to confirm the opinions of Eurosceptics and turn many others against the EU. Those in charge of the EU would prefer to see the elderly and the sick die simply to line their own pockets and those of their friends. They dodge questions such as those by Vincent Browne because they know they are destroying lives but don’t want to admit it. If what they were doing was the right thing to do they would not be dodging questions and giving vague answers. STOP TAKING OUR MONEY AND LYING TO US.
@Brian
You couldn’t of summed it up any better.
Best comment I’ve seen on this website so far.
While I don’t agree with the angry emails (though have we any proof how many, the content etc. of those sent) she can think again, if she reckons anyone will have any serious sympathy for her.
I think the fact the question wasn’t answered says a lot more than any spin of an answer they could have given. If you weren’t convinced previously of how much we’re being bent over then you should now.
We are entitled to an answer I think most would agree. Even if it wasn’t one we wanted to hear.
And kudos to Vinnie B, he’s not always easy to watch but at least he does hit the nail on the head far more than anyone from RTE-land
Brian
Whats wrong with angry emails? We the people pay her salary and we have the right of redress.
Although I agree with the rest our your post
She didn’t say she received angry but ultimately constructive emails, she said they were abusive and profane. So to answer your question, we may pay her salary but there’s a hell of a lot wrong with verbally abusing someone, despite what you think of their work ethic.
As much as the readers of thejournal may claim Irish politics is a circus, we don’t actually pay are politicians to sit above the proverbial tank while we hurl our vitriol.
Barbra Nolan was a total weasel during this exchange with Vincent Browne. She should be ashamed.
Barbara Nolan was right in what she said vb is only feeding tv 3 with continual garbage that hasn’t changed in two years and if he did not expect an answer .withall his concern why does he condone the likes off Wallace and co who bled his workers and faied to pay his workers pension contributions and in the same breath tell us he supports vita cortex workers in Cork . His only concern is maintaining ratings for tv3.self seeker
Broadsheet cannot be blamed just because their readers are familiar with the Internet. She should be aware her details are freely available on the eu website and it encourages us, to meet “the team”. It doesn’t say if they are our team or are our opponents.. ;)
http://ec.europa.eu/ireland/about_us/meet_the_team/index1_en.htm
Doesn’t excuse spamming her. If this is what happens every time a public representative does something that offends a big chunk of people, who’s going to be surprised when they retreat from the web into privacy?
Talk *to* your representatives, not *at* them.
It seems Nolan is of the belief that abusive emails directed at her are of much more importance than the abuse of the Irish people by the ECB/EU/IMF! And it seems she has a remedy for these emails but is not concerned that the Irish people have no remedy WHATSOEVER in tackling the continuing abuse of Ireland by the ECB/EU/IMF!
The word “legend” is misused a lot, but Vincent is a Legend.
DEAL WITH IT!!!
She have been sent her P45,not abusive emails. She was certainly out of order
Vincent Browne is the man,!!! if he ever decides to organise a military coup and kick out all the rouges and robbers in Ireland whether they be politicians priests or bankers me and my band of trustworthy, fearless and fed up to our teeth with all the lies and deciet followers will be in the front line with him and give Ireland what it deserves!!!!!!!!!!!Cmon lads lets sort this out for once and for all
i sent her a little email myself , just to let her know of my DISGUST at her behaviour as an irish woman – shame on you Barbara
I’m going to go against the tide and say abusive emails are abusive emails are abusive emails.
There’s a right way and a wrong way to bring your greivance to a representative. Forget name-calling & vitriol, they either get (rightly) ignored, or worse, they’re responded to in kind. It’s a case of “I think what you did was wrong because *X,Y,Z*”
Play the ball, not the (wo)man.
So she wants to take legal action? OMG!….she is in the public eye but doesn’t want to hear complaints or shell take you to court! What a ficked up system we live in
Big fucking boo hoo, she’s just another EU lackey, a nobody.
@ Michael C From the sounds of things, your not shy about rambling on yourself. From what I’ve seen of V.B, he asks serious ?s. Though he rarely seems to get an answer from politicians.
In all fairness when has anyone got a proper answer from a politician? I very rarely hear one answer a question properly, thoroughly and actual relevant to the question!!!!
i think i know what ur saying alan, but when its politically favourable
they are quite capable of giving straight answers.
i think this is a crucial time in irish life, in european life,
and the more pressure that can be exerted on these political animals
the better.
i think they had better start taking us peasants more seriously,
before stones are thrown.
I am amazed that the main parties are sending lobby fodder in to debate with Vincent.
Last week 2 fine Gael and a labour person were sent back to the pavilion 1st ball without having troubled the scorer.
I was amazed at how silent the room went when vincent got stuck in.
The king had no clothes and every body knew it.The EU political commissar lady was caught flat footed but trying to pads over the question will not make it go away and it will be asked louder and more often from now on
i think she thinks she was there to protect them like the CIA protect Obama, watch her in the interview, all she was missing was dark glasses
Martin Dorgan, if your’e on the hunt for self seekers I suggest you google “Barbara Nolan” who was unheard of until this week. This is surprising as she heads up The European Commission Representation in Ireland with responsibility for:
Communicating
Providing information on European affairs both to the media and to the general public. The Press Office keeps national and local media up to date with developments in Brussels and is an important contact point for journalists.
Providing the general public with free access to information about the Commission and the European Union in its public information centre at 18 Dawson Street, Dublin 2, through publications, updated eurobarometer, internet points, multimedia facilities and educational visits. Information officers are on hand to deal with specific queries. The Representation has also established a panel of experts – Team Europe – available to speak at conferences and seminars throughout the country.
Providing a Eurojus Consultant (solicitor: Siobhan Duffy) who is available to give advice and information on citizens’ rights in the European Union.
Distributing a weekly electronic newsletter with news of recent developments at EU level and an agenda of upcoming events.
Going Local
Supporting a countrywide network of EU information providers in local libraries, business information centres and universities.
Listening
Gathering information and keeping the Commission in Brussels informed of various political, social and economic developments in Ireland. As part of its expanding listening function, the Representation will conduct public consultations on various ideas the Commission is developing. It wants to ensure that citizens’ voices are heard in the corridors of power in Brussels
Perhaps if she stayed away from Financial issues and stuck to her day job…. supporting, listening.
Cue a load of misogynistic, nationalist garbage below…
misogynistic? no, i don’t think so…..yep, i’m fairly definite that wont happen…
nationalistic? if you class feeling ripped of and a desire to see justice for irish people
in relation to unsecured bondholders as nationalistic, then ill happily be labelled nationalistic.
garbage? no, i don’t think so…
Looks like your previous comment was taken down Mr McGee, but here’s one comment from above: “she would do well to remember she’s an Irishwoman first and an EU lackey second.” Nationalistic hyperbole…
Mr Cuthbert,
So because she’s female does that mean any reference to that fact
can be classed as misogynistic? Is that all u have?
Hyperbole? Thats ur opinion. My opinion is different. I believe economic war has been
unofficially declared on democracy, and clearly not just ireland.
and please, call me joe :-)
LOL. Ok, I’ll try and be more PC. ‘She would do well to remember she is an Irishperson/entity (in case any Freemen are reading)…..’. I won’t apologise for my ‘Nationalistic hyperbole’ however.
Ciaran Mc
I am an Irishwoman , First , Last and Always .
I will NEVER call myself European.
Good for you Eileen. I’m glad that a woman is not offended by use of the term ‘Irishwoman’. Heck, I’d be proud to be called an Irishwoman, if, you know, things had turned out differently…and if I was called an ‘Irishman’ I sure wouldn’t class the person who called me same as a misandrist…
Ah but you ARE, whether you like it or not.
:) :)
Fair play to her – I’d love a chance to shut Vincent Browne up. His voice really grates and if anyone disagrees with him and starts to win an argument he changes the subject (takes the ball and goes home).
have little time for people stupid enough to send abusive or profane messages to this lady, I would encourage however civil messages of objection to the way she fobbed off Vincent Browne’s questioning. she should have kept her gob shut and let Claus wallow in his inability to answer the question that is on the minds of every irish person
Leave the journalist do his job Babs!
Vincent seems to think that Ireland shouldn’t pay for money borrowed and guaranteed by our government. We are like terrorists – snatch and grab everything that is going and to hell with the consequences. I am not surprised as Bertie and his pals would not know how to be honest and responsible in a million years.
Love the sarcasm franky baby!
At least thats how i choosing to interpret ur post
I’ve absolutely no sympathy for her (she is after all only an overpaid PR lackey… as for her gender and nationality neither are a bar in the systematic rape of Ireland by ‘good’ irish europeans). If this press conference is to be remembered for anything it should be the reaction of the one the question was aimed at. His facial expression/body language and avoidance of the question revealed he knew the validity of said question, knew the correct answer to that question, but was stumped because he couldn’t ad lib the big ‘LIE’! That was when Nolan stepped in. The sheepish, hand caught in the cookie jar attitude (brought on by VB’s persistence) made me laugh out loud satisfied with the knowledge the spokespeople for the troika are merely bagman for a wider agenda of international theft.
The Übermensch can do all of that…
Typical Ireland always avoid the tricky question she had no business intervening he’s the head of finance for the eu ffs. She tried to intimidate VIn in her ypical revenue collector style.
…
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