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Local politicians say they warned council and Irish Water of illness in Gorey in late August

At least 52 people fell ill after untreated water passed through the system.

LAST UPDATE | 20 Sep 2021

LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES IN Gorey, Co Wexford, have expressed concern that their queries about illness in the town being connected to a water supply issue were dismissed by the council and Irish Water.

At least 52 people in Gorey fell ill and some were hospitalised due to the issues at the Creagh plant. Irish Water has acknowledged there were also water quality issues at the plant in Ballymore Eustace, which supplies drinking water to parts of Dublin city.

In a statement this evening, Irish Water said that the incident stemmed from a power failure:

At Creagh water treatment plant in Gorey, County Wexford, an incident which arose from a power failure and a chlorine pump failure resulted in water leaving the plant and entering the public supply without the appropriate level of disinfection for approximately a five day period in August 2021 (19-24).
This incident was not notified to the EPA and the HSE until the 26th August, preventing a timely risk assessment of the impact on drinking water quality and to allow interventions to be taken that could have protected public health.

Irish Water said that it is working with the EPA and Wexford County Council to investigate the incident, including the reasons for the delay in communicating the incident to Irish Water.

The investigation is ongoing and further details will be made available in due course. The EPA has also carried out an audit of the site and we are awaiting the results of this audit.

Irish Water and Wexford County Council have been criticised for failing to warn the public that there were issues with the drinking water supply. 

Speaking to The Journal, Fianna Fáil Senator Malcolm Byrne said he and a number of local councillors had raised concern with the council and with Irish Water in late August after reports of illnesses, particularly among those in west Gorey, which is served by the Creagh plant. 

“We were constantly told there wasn’t a problem,” he said. “Yet the evidence continued to point to there being a significant problem.”

Senator Byrne said the scale of the impact of this water contamination has likely been underestimated as he knows of several people who were ill around that time but who did not require treatment in hospital. 

“There were people who didn’t necessarily present, but who talked to me about vomiting, diarrhoea, passing blood in certain instances and serious cramps,” he said. 

“From speaking to local pharmacists there was a run on Imodium tablets,” he said. “I knew people who went for Covid tests before they were under the impression it wasn’t the water. We were being told, myself and local councillors, that there wasn’t a problem.”

Byrne and a number of local councillors met today with senior Irish Water representatives, who he said were “apologetic”.

“We have to go beyond the apology, now it’s about what action will be taken,” he said.

All 800 plants across the country will now be audited, starting with the 20 largest facilities.

Senator Byrne said there was clearly a “communication failure” in this instance and this also needs to be addressed. 

  • Our colleagues at Noteworthy want to find out where in Ireland has the most polluted tap water. See how you can support this project here.

Irish Water chief executive Niall Gleeson told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland earlier today that the company had only been notified there was an issue on 26 August – five days after the problem began – and by that stage the issue had been resolved. 

“Wexford county council had resolved the problem and at that point the untreated water had been in the system, but had flushed through,” he said. “So there was no advantage in putting on a boil water notice at that stage when we were informed.

“The issue here is we should have been informed by Wexford County Council as soon as the incident happened. Now, I know they had some communication issues with their own operational staff around the issue, but that’s what we’re investigating now.”

Gleeson said Irish Water had discovered the issue during an audit of the plant and then informed the HSE and the EPA.

He said there were issues with the process in the plant and with alarms, but there were secondary indicators of an issue that “should have been picked up”.

Gleeson acknowledged that Irish Water “should have known” and is now rolling out an audit of the country’s 20 largest plants.  He said the company will also work with operational staff in local authorities to ensure they understand the processes and alarm conditions. 

“We would like to apologise to all of our customers, these incidences certainly shouldn’t have happened,” Gleeson said.

“We should have communicated quicker, we should have dealt with the HSE and the EPA to agree necessary steps when untreated water went into the system. So there was there was a failure there. We’re taking steps to make sure those failures don’t happen again.”

Minister O’Brien met with representatives from Irish Water, Dublin City Council, and Wexford County Council yesterday to discuss these next steps.

Speaking at an event today, the minister said what happened was “utterly unacceptable” and was due to a breakdown in process. 

“People were ill because of it and some quite seriously ill and that’s absolutely not acceptable,” he said.

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    Mute Willie Marty
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    Jul 1st 2024, 11:12 AM

    RTE should cut their losses and exit stage left.

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    Mute Brendan O'Brien
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    Jul 1st 2024, 11:18 AM

    @Willie Marty: As Joni Mitchell once sang, you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.

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    Mute Rochelle Hart
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    Jul 1st 2024, 11:30 AM

    @Brendan O’Brien: Hands up who misses Tubridy on TV and Radio a year on?

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    Mute and the hit's just keep coming
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    Jul 1st 2024, 11:42 AM

    @Rochelle Hart: Tubirdy who ??? He had the personality of a traffic cone

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    Mute Mick Hanna
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    Jul 1st 2024, 2:41 PM

    @Brendan O’Brien: It would be missed like a dose of diarrhoea.

    47
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    Mute A D
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    Jul 1st 2024, 4:05 PM

    @Rochelle Hart: I have always disliked tubridy.
    Rte could have achieved something worthwhile with the money they wasted on him.

    43
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    Mute Brian Hunt
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    Jul 1st 2024, 4:42 PM

    @and the hit’s just keep coming: Tubridy went into hospital last year for a personality transplant, it was a failure!

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    Mute Mary.E.
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    Jul 1st 2024, 9:09 PM

    @Rochelle Hart:
    Who ?

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    Mute S Suilleabhain
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    Jul 1st 2024, 9:15 PM

    @Rochelle Hart: not even remotely. An unapologetic coward with dirty connections. Just the tip of the iceberg.

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    Mute S Suilleabhain
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    Jul 2nd 2024, 9:05 AM

    @Brendan O’Brien: we do know what would be gone & it would be immensely satisfying. It’s not proper public service broadcasting. It never was.

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    Mute Ken Fallon
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    Jul 1st 2024, 11:19 AM

    They did it before and it was a disaster. They only covered two days of the festival and it was mostly the presenters chatting to each other. Typical RTE incompetence.

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    Mute Gerry Keogh
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    Jul 1st 2024, 3:55 PM

    @Jimmy Wallace: Their coverage at the Olympics always was excellent and especially at Rio where the female presenters really came into their own….something a lot of us take for granted

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    Mute A D
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    Jul 1st 2024, 5:03 PM

    @Ken Fallon: Any coverage of the festival should show just the music.
    RTE presenters should stay out of it.

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    Mute S Suilleabhain
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    Jul 1st 2024, 9:17 PM

    @Ken Fallon: yes but they weren’t compelled to have that narcissist Eoghan presenting, they chose to. Then again, knowing rte it could have been so much worse I met that Roz what’sit individual once upon a time. she was with some girl from the rte show Fake street – a pair of complete eegits

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    Mute LCD4533
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    Jul 1st 2024, 11:29 AM

    They should partner up with YouTube or Instagram and show it live. Unfortunately RTE missed the boat when it came to digitally advancing its platform. If it were to stream over RTE player, the 7 viewers would inevitably struggle with buffering and the endless adverts

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    Mute Richard K
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    Jul 1st 2024, 11:50 AM

    @LCD4533: In fairness to RTE, that was once true of the RTE Player but not anymore. I regularly watch live sport on it and never have buffering issues and there are no ads for live events. My only gripe is that it’s about 20 to 25vseconds behind the TV coverage. The Virgin Media player is much worse. The sound is regularly completely out of sync with the picture.

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    Mute Brian Keelty
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    Jul 1st 2024, 1:39 PM

    @Richard K: the RTE player has more bugs, than the local hospital.

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    Mute Brian Hunt
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    Jul 1st 2024, 4:54 PM

    @Brian Keelty: I wonder which in-house genius got the mega bucks for throwing it together?

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    Mute S Suilleabhain
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    Jul 1st 2024, 9:14 PM

    @Brian Keelty: fitting ,it’s partly because of rte that the whole public healthcare infrastructure is headed for complete ruination
    Of course, in most countries that laugh at the state of us in Ireland, they’d wonder how the lads at the top pulling the strings in the HSE have even gotten away with this for so long.

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    Mute SerotoninWars
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    Jul 1st 2024, 11:22 AM

    I’d say yes but let’s face it the overall quality of the acts has dropped off a cliff in recent years. At this stage All Together Now might be a better bet out of the bigger festivals. I like some dance and electronic but it’s become tediously standard at this stage. It’s a long time since it was the chippy fresh newcomer. Watching DJs on TV is an absolute bore. Heavy music is as ever almost completely ignored in Irish festivals and conversation despite every gig I go to being completely sold out. You have to really dig at most of the big festivals to move beyond the retro and beige.

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    Mute Richard K
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    Jul 1st 2024, 11:46 AM

    Yes but focus on showing the music and interviews with the acts and not on presenters talking to each other

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    Mute Jim O'Sullivan
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    Jul 1st 2024, 11:57 AM

    What about showing us important games like the quarter-finals of the All-Ireland instead of exploiting these games to make money? Equipment bought with public money is used to cover GAAGO.

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    Mute ecrowley ecrowley
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    Jul 1st 2024, 11:29 AM

    While EP isn’t my thing at all, you’d think RTE would want to celebrate the largest festival in the country. BBC do great coverage of Glastonbury but it could be argued that they have the resources to cover it properly, and more importantly, the know-how.

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    Mute SerotoninWars
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    Jul 1st 2024, 11:34 AM

    @ecrowley ecrowley: Yes, the BBC has resources and infrastructure that barely any broadcaster on the planet can match, never mind Ireland. Hugely expensive to do these things too and with the current wave of RTE the kickback against what many perceive as a jolly would be huge. Many don’t realise that there is a huge amount of hard work going on behind the presenters who look like they are having a good time. But that’s all that many would focus on.

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    Mute SerotoninWars
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    Jul 1st 2024, 11:37 AM

    @SerotoninWars: *current wave of RTE hate

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    Mute ecrowley ecrowley
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    Jul 1st 2024, 12:07 PM

    @SerotoninWars: Ya, it would definitely be seen as needless spending in the current climate.

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    Mute SerotoninWars
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    Jul 1st 2024, 1:04 PM

    @ecrowley ecrowley: Alternatively they could get properly trolling for the clicks. Bring Tubridy back to present the Electric Picnic! The rage from Journal commenters alone would power the national grid for the next year!

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    Mute James T.Kirk
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    Jul 1st 2024, 1:09 PM

    @ecrowley ecrowley: The largest is the Fleadh, which they cover with TG4.

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    Mute ecrowley ecrowley
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    Jul 1st 2024, 1:09 PM

    @SerotoninWars: Haha that’d be amazing. Outrage amplified!

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    Mute ecrowley ecrowley
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    Jul 1st 2024, 1:19 PM

    @James T.Kirk: Music coverage across terrestrial channels is pretty good. I wouldn’t know numbers on Fleadh or other festivals but it’s a moot point as the stuff I listen to isn’t covered at all.

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    Mute Mick Duvanny
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    Jul 1st 2024, 11:20 AM

    I doubt there is any commercial value in showing it live. Most of the people who really want to see the act will already be at the venue.

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    Mute Brendan O'Brien
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    Jul 1st 2024, 11:23 AM

    @Mick Duvanny: RTÉ isn’t just a commercial broadcaster, and the same argument could be made about major sporting events.

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    Mute Brian Hunt
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    Jul 1st 2024, 4:48 PM

    @Brendan O’Brien: Yes, it’s also a government propaganda purveyor!

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    Mute S Suilleabhain
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    Jul 1st 2024, 9:12 PM

    @Brendan O’Brien: it’s not often if ever that I agree with you. Spot on

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    Mute S Suilleabhain
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    Jul 2nd 2024, 9:01 AM

    @Brian Hunt: actually you’re spot on
    .

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    Mute Magnificent Mongoose
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    Jul 1st 2024, 11:35 AM

    I would say yes to showing live performances but RTE has proven before that they are incapable. Snippets of live performances and boring chat.

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    Mute SerotoninWars
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    Jul 1st 2024, 11:41 AM

    @Magnificent Mongoose: I’m not sure who has ultimate responsibility but thinking about the New Years Eve live bash on RTE each year…we have a wad of amazing bands and musicians across many genres and what do we get…a washed up boyband. That’s how much they think of the public.

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    Mute J Ven
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    Jul 1st 2024, 11:30 AM

    A small country like ours normally has one state TV channel, maybe two to include TG4, plus one radio station, that’s it. That’s the meaning of national broadcasting for society’s interests. Show the Dáil Éireann sessions, etc, not to show movies, and commercial interests being subsidised by the tax payer

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    Mute ahhhhh Ted...... Tubridys going into comedy
    Favourite ahhhhh Ted...... Tubridys going into comedy
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    Jul 1st 2024, 12:34 PM

    Why not Virgin media. RTE can’t wash it’s face nevermind paying millions for rights to a private entity.

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    Mute tiobraiddroicead
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    Jul 1st 2024, 4:33 PM

    How about a poll on cutting public funding to rte?

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    Mute Roman Walczak Sadlowski
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    Jul 1st 2024, 12:10 PM

    If anything E.P should have its own YouTube broadcasting if it wishes to provide free access.. or create a paid access for events on YouTube to further enhance income so the next event can be even better. Why should RTE benefit..

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    Mute S Suilleabhain
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    Jul 1st 2024, 9:11 PM

    @Roman Walczak Sadlowski: why should EP profit further in this way? Completely disagree with you. Meanwhile in Britain, supposed leftie Michael eavis is looking like quite the Tory with what he charges for a Glastonbury ticket now.

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    Mute Karen Marten
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    Jul 1st 2024, 1:36 PM

    No way sure they can’t over the st Patrick’s day parade with out talking over it all and rubish camera cover

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    Mute bruce banner
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    Jul 1st 2024, 12:32 PM

    They would need some decent sound engineers first though. Rte ones have always been awful.

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    Mute Michael o connor
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    Jul 1st 2024, 6:15 PM

    I’d love to see D4orbes up on the stage explaining her role in the RTE saga!

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    Mute David O Brien
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    Jul 1st 2024, 6:32 PM

    @Michael o connor: I’d pay to see that!

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    Mute S Suilleabhain
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    Jul 1st 2024, 9:08 PM

    @Michael o connor: who in your view is more rotten to the core Id love the journal to do a poll
    A) Frances Fitzgerald
    B) Dee Forbes
    C) Noirin o Sullivan
    D) Al equal
    E) I’m a me feiner I defend corrupt rte, corrupt hse etc

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    Mute CWrex
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    Jul 1st 2024, 1:10 PM

    Its complicated. The BBC are a huge operation and can afford to employ someone for 12 months to cover just the ‘Rights’ alone for such a festival. It would only take one band to say no to skew the whole thing. Remember when England said “No” to the Free to air rugby internationals and it fecked-up the schedules?

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    Mute Mick Hanna
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    Jul 1st 2024, 2:39 PM

    Who Cares! Unless It’s Subscription Only! YOU WANT IT, YOU PAY FOR IT!!!

    18
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    Mute Paddy C
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    Jul 1st 2024, 1:11 PM

    They should sit down and figure out how to run without bailouts and TV licence fees for mediocre entertainment at best. It’s the channel I give the least time to minus the news and weather the rest is good for sending you asleep,garbage.

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    Mute S Suilleabhain
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    Jul 1st 2024, 9:25 PM

    @Paddy C: on the contrary, the ag

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    Mute S Suilleabhain
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    Jul 1st 2024, 9:26 PM

    @Paddy C: the agenda ridden news with it’s very patronising tone and selective reporting, is also good enough to put many to sleep.

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    Mute Athena
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    Jul 1st 2024, 1:59 PM

    What RTE should do, is develop a viable business model. So, now in addition to TV licence, the government (taxpayer) are ranting more funding to this moloch.

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    Mute Mick Hanna
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    Jul 1st 2024, 9:38 PM

    @Athena: Without The TV Tax!!!

    1
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    Mute S Suilleabhain
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    Jul 1st 2024, 9:03 PM

    RTE is corrupt and completely out of touch. It should not exist in its current form and doesn’t provide public service broadcasting – it’s a rubbish entity with an incredible political bias – you just have to look at Miriam o Callaghan’s career in terms of her connections but many give her a preposterous free pass cos of that condescending but presentable style she has. Absolutely never going to tune in again the damage is done

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    Mute John Nolan
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    Jul 1st 2024, 3:42 PM

    Usual moaners on again

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    Mute S Suilleabhain
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    Jul 1st 2024, 9:07 PM

    @John Nolan: pointing out that rte pushes non stop propaganda right down to who’s obnoxious are fheis gets promoted all the whole sole of the rubbish they broadcast isn’t moaning. Stop objecting to people highlighting wrongdoing and calling it moaning. I’m confident that you moan, the question is whether it’s about me fein for you ? For others it’s about Sinn Fein (not the political party) although how appropriate since they smear them non – stop

    While I’m on the subject, has rte been caught out even on six one televising the Muslim cal to prayer being done in Croke park? I’ll happily moan about that no organised religion that promotes such fear and terror, including the RCC should get this free ride

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    Mute Wayne Shoes
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    Jul 1st 2024, 4:19 PM

    Ask fine Gale they love the arts..Not

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    Mute ron don
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    Jul 2nd 2024, 1:54 AM

    What a brutal “Poll” just televise things, Virgin, RTE who cares

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