RTÉ NEWS HAS announced the appointment of Fran McNulty as its new agriculture and consumer affairs correspondent, replacing George Lee in the role. 

McNulty is currently a reporter with RTÉ Prime Time and has worked with RTÉ News as a reporter for radio, television and online, and has also presented some of RTÉ’s radio programmes, including Morning Ireland, This Week and News at One.

He began his career working in local radio, with Shannonside Northern Sound Radio where he worked as a current affairs presenter and agriculture editor before joining RTÉ in 2005.

McNulty’s journalism on Prime Time has scrutinised public spending, examined abuses in the fishing industry, exposed significant issues in the agricultural and food production sectors and explored a range of issues within the insurance industry, including fraud.

He has also reported on some of the most high profile Irish criminal court cases.

McNulty has experience reporting on international news. He reported from London during the terror alerts.

He also covered the illness and death of Nelson Mandela in South Africa. As well as covering the resignation of Pope Benedict, he reported on the Papal Conclave that elected Pope Francis and also reported from the West Bank.

“It is a tremendous honour to be appointed as a Correspondent for RTÉ News,” McNulty said. 

“I am thrilled that RTÉ News has decided to focus on consumer affairs, we will give voice to consumers and look at the challenges facing people,” he said.

“This new role will look at what we earn, how we spend it, what we eat and how it is produced. I am aware that I follow many great agricultural journalists in the newsroom like George Lee and Joe O’Brien, it’s a challenge I am very much looking forward to meeting.”

The role of agriculture and environment correspondent has been held by George Lee for the past five years.

Earlier this year, RTÉ made the decision to review some of its correspondencies, and recently advertised for an agriculture and consumer affairs correspondence, along with an environment and science correspondent. 

Lee will continue to work with RTÉ News after finishing in his role as correspondent. McNulty will be taking up his new role later this summer.

“I would like congratulate Fran and wish him well in the role of agriculture and consumer affairs correspondent,” Lee said.

I would also like to thank those in the farming community and in the wider agri-food sector for all their help and assistance, and for their warmth and acceptance over the five years during which I have covered the agriculture brief for RTÉ News.

“Now that RTÉ has reviewed its correspondencies I have decided it is the right time for me to change my focus from agriculture. The happy memories I have of my interactions with so many farmers will remain with me.”