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FIANNA FÁIL HAS written to senior management at RTÉ to complain about the party’s exclusion from almost all of broadcaster’s same-sex marriage referendum debates in recent weeks.
Niall Collins, the party’s director of elections for the referendum, has written to director general Noel Curran and head of news and current affairs Kevin Bakhurst to express his party’s anger at “the editorial decision to exclude us from participation in the panels for any of the principal RTÉ television debates”.
Sinn Féin has also said it will be making a complaint to RTÉ and seeking a meeting with the broadcaster, claiming its exclusion from debates has been “outrageous”.
According to Collins’s letter, seen by TheJournal.ie, RTÉ’s elections steering committee informed Fianna Fáil that it had been adequately represented in referendum coverage. But Collins disputes this:
With the single exception of a radio debate this afternoon on Saturday with Claire Byrne, where our Deputy Director of Elections Averil Power has been asked to participate, the main Opposition party has not been represented on any RTÉ debate panel.
“This is despite the fact that our Party Leader has made it clear he is prepared to debate the issue with the Referendum’s opponents.”
Collins points out that Fianna Fáil has a mandate from nearly 400,000 people who voted for it and has a long involvement with the issue being debated in the referendum.
“Fianna Fáil ministers proposed and brought into law the decriminalisation of homosexuality, equality legislation and civil partnerships,” he continues
We supported this referendum proposal at every stage of its passage and this support was endorsed by our members. To hold that this perspective is irrelevant to the primary television debates is extraordinary.
Collins claims that the broadcaster’s approach is that because the proposal comes from the government it should be the only party to make the case.
He believes this was confirmed by reports over the weekend that Alex White could replace Leo Varadkar in the final Prime Time debate, which takes place tomorrow night.
“As well as abandoning long standing precedent, where all parties supporting a constitutional amendment have been facilitated in making the case to their supporters, this is not the case. The marriage equality amendment is going to the people following a decision of the Oireachtas, not a Government decision,” Collins writes.
RTÉ said it received Fianna Fáil’s letter on Saturday and intends to respond to it “in due course”.
A spokesperson added: “RTÉ has taken care to balance the debates with a range of voices across the political spectrum and beyond. Referendum debate panels are not selected on party political lines.”
In a statement last night, Sinn Féin’s director of elections for the referendum, Padraig MacLochlainn, said that his party’s exclusion from debates on radio and TV has been “outrageous”.
No political party has worked harder than Sinn Féin in the last while, canvassing and leafleting houses around the state. This has disrespected the efforts of so many Sinn Féin members who have been actively campaigning for marriage equality.
“RTÉ seem to have forgotten that this is not a government driven referendum. It was proposed by the Constitutional Convention.
He added: “We will be making a complaint to RTÉ in the strongest possible terms and we will be seeking a meeting with them to resolve this exclusion.”
Still better than half the dumps on daft in Dublin city.
At about the same price and all.
Did ya give her a good wash ?
1500 a month is not bad when you include WiFi, Cable tv and a cleaner/butler. Gym included. This is what our city’s need. They look pretty cool IMO
Swankier and bigger than my first bedsit! lol
I like the way a cleaner comes in once a week as standard.
Was expecting worse, can only imagine what they’ll be like in 20years time
Could do with these in dublin 500 would be snapped up in hours..
Well its official the future will in fact be like The 5th Element…
Exactly what came to mind, haha.
I’d take it if it comes with a Lelu in the shower…
So rich people’s homes are getting bigger and the ordinary everyday person’s home gets smaller and smaller and some people are OK with that? The problem is not with people building them, it’s with people buying them. I hope that if anything like this gets built in Dublin that people don’t buy them. They only serve to maximise profits for the developer and nothing else.
Currently living in NYC and paying $1000 to live with 4 other people in an apartment with no living room and a shared bathroom. I’d 100% be up for living in one of these.
Adly needed in dublin they would be snapped up in hours… look nice for a micro apartment
roof over the head. all the essentials, heat, water, toilet, kitchen, electriciy etc what more do you u need. id be happy out living there. close to work/college etc. this is the way its going to have to go. 7 billion people on this planet and increasing. 5th element is imminent :-)
Great idea, with all that space down by the Dublin docklands these would be ideal for students and those entering the workforce, they would hold there value and always be in demand…
A much better use of space that what you have in the surrounding areas of the city centre, large houses with front and back gardens, usually only 1 elderly person living in them in a lot of the most expensive houses..
You could go a little stir crazy if you did much more than sleep in such a micro apartment.
That’s a burglar in pic 1.
A single’s pad for someone with very little possessions, very few books, no need to entertain visitors and able to manage lean living.
Could be OK if you were just to use it as second residence for the working week or something though?
Jenga with caravans.
Kitchen ‘slash’ bathroom
Bigger than some apts in Seoul
What does Alan Kelly think of these spacious accommodations? That’s the lad to chop off a few metres.
Minister Kelly was genuinely dismissive of these rabbit hutches.
He said that he could do smaller by taking plans of prison cells in Mountjoy and doing a variation on these. He is considering contracting this out to DO B
Minister Kelly explained that the more separate households the more households to pay water charges.
“large windows that slide open on to a false balcony” – sounds dangerous- open door on to what I think is a balcony and put my foot out into open air and fall 10 storeys?
If you were on your own you wouldn’t want anything bigger. It’s only birds that want gaffs so big there’s rooms you don’t even go in to and you spend half of one of your days the weekend cleaning the kip
I have a bigger caravan
In New York?
Yes I pulled in there on top of the trump tower last week. I be selling a few gate tomorrow if your interested sir
1500 is a great price for NYC
Nice.
It’s in Kips Bay :)
City living for singles or first time renters of the future
Now try bringing this concept to Ireland, and everyone loses their minds…
First dates would be most efficient. From popcorn and soda, to making bacon at the switch of a button…
I need to go the toilet
have your say