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IN THE MINDS of many, the ongoing controversy over water charges and Irish Water has been inextricably linked to a controversy over how the Irish media has covered the saga.
Last week, for example, Sinn Féin revealed that Irish Water had paid the national broadcaster €717,286 for advertising.
And on TV3′s Tonight With Vincent Browne on Wednesday, former Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte doubled down on his long-stated criticism of RTE’s coverage of the controversy.
Among other claims, he stated that up until the general election, RTE’s coverage of water charges focused exclusively on the protests against them, and never addressed the need for investment in our failing water infrastructure.
A fairly extraordinary claim. Does it stack up?
(Remember, if you see a claim you want looked at, email factcheck@thejournal.ie).
Claim: RTE’s coverage of water charges only focused on protests, until after the general election
Verdict: FALSE
What was said:
During a lengthy discussion on RTE, host Matt Cooper invited Pat Rabbitte to elaborate on his criticisms of the broadcaster. You can watch the exchange in full here, but we’re focused on this part:
In the 18 months of the controversy, RTE never did a programme explaining why we have a dysfunctional water system, and why it needs enormous investment in the interests of public health and attracting industry here until – after the election – Simon Coveney went on a programme and hinted that he might be backing down.
They then did a programme, the following Thursday night, on why this was a disgrace, and the system was so dysfunctional, somebody had to pay for it and we had to get the investment from somewhere.
Press Ombudsman Peter Feeney then intervened to say that RTE’s Environment correspondent George Lee had done “many reports” underlining the need for investment in water infrastructure.
Rabbitte rejected this and added:
No, he did general and generic reports, Peter, but the water thing was covered purely from the point of view of the protests.
…If RTE had done a programme explaining to the citizens of Ireland why we needed to bring our water service, make it fit for purpose, I think somebody would have brought it to my attention.
RTE has in fact reported many times on water infrastructure issues, and the need for further investment in Ireland’s water system, including during the period before the general election on 26 February.
This is a (far from exhaustive) list:
Rabbitte’s claim that “the water thing was covered purely from the point of view of the protests” is clearly, demonstrably FALSE.
It is true that RTE, like other broadcasters and media outlets, extensively covered the many protests against water charges that have taken place since the Autumn of 2014.
However, some of the broadcaster’s more in-depth reporting and analysis has also pointed out what could be described as “negative” aspects of them.
For example, on 11 December 2014, Prime Time devoted 17 minutes to the protests, and some isolated intimidation surrounding them, and hosted a debate between Fine Gael TD Regina Doherty and AAA-PBP TD Paul Murphy.
And after the incident in Jobstown in November 2014, Prime Time devoted a segment to the question of whether anti-water charges protests had “gone too far”, and featured a discussion between Ruth Coppinger and Leo Varadkar.
There was other similar coverage.
A comprehensive review of Prime Time, RTE’s flagship current affairs programme, and Claire Byrne Live, showed that between January 2013 and 25 February 2016:
There have been too many reports on water charges across entire RTE’s radio and TV output to do a comprehensive analysis for this FactCheck.
However, a reasonably thorough search on the RTE website indicated that the pattern found in Prime Time and Claire Byrne Live was largely reflected in the broadcaster’s general coverage.
There was probably more reporting associated with protests (some of it focusing on arrests of protesters, and including criticism of protesters expressed by commentators, especially government politicians).
However, the coverage on water infrastructure problems and the need for investment has been significant, and representatives of both the government and Irish Water itself have appeared frequently on RTE to make that case.
Overall, though, the coverage has been dominated by miscellaneous issues not connected to either protests or infrastructural problems – registration deadlines, political controversy, confusion over billing, changes to the details of the government’s plans, and general overviews and debates on water charges as a whole.
The claim, that RTE’s coverage of water charges was exclusively (or even predominantly) focused on protests, is demonstrably FALSE.
Also FALSE is the claim that RTE did not report on water infrastructure and the need for investment until after the general election.
We asked Pat Rabbitte if he accepted that RTE did, in fact, cover water charges in this way, and he responded:
The public service broadcaster has an obligation not just to report on a major matter of public interest but also to analyse, inform and explain, which in the case of water, it did not do except as an afterthought and inadequately.
Send your FactCheck requests to factcheck@thejournal.ie.
This is all about blame, the government wants the ability to point to a quango and blame it on the future hikes in energy and fuel prices, but we all know it them pushing the failed green ajenda and making ordinary people poorer.
@087 bed: Yep Germany closed down their nuclear and coal electricity plants, and bought into the renewables like wind and solar, but when they turned off their cheap russian gas, it exposed the whole scam!
@Dave Callaghan: What scam? Nuclear and renewables were never claimed to be able to fully replace gas. It is much cheaper and cleaner to use gas generation than coal. Without renewables and nuclear, the impact of the Russian gas reduction would’ve been much greater
@087 bed: The ‘quango’ is entirely in your imagination.
@Brendan O’Brien: Brendan. The quango is enabled by the EU, who won’t change how the price of electricity is decided.
Under the rules they dreamed up, the price is decided by whichever is the most expensive at a given time.
Say wind is cheap at the moment and gas is the dearest. The gas price is what is charged for all the electricity.
@Donal Ronan: How come we pay the most for electricity in the E.U. so?
@Brian D’Arcy: Brian. It would be worth your while reading Mario Draghi’s report and what he says about decoupling electricity prices.
The electricity company bosses nearly had heart attacks.
Electricity prices are decided by the dearest at a given time, which is usually gas. Even though gas doesn’t generate as much electricity anymore.
We are stuck with the same EU rules. Hence high prices, which for everything in Ireland is higher.
The wind guys must be laughing.
I love when they say energy security and independence.
Note to new justice minister– we need a huge detention centre built pronto to hold all the illegal immigrants until they can be sent back to wherever they came from. And FFS start enforcing our immigration laws !!!
”Eighty-five percent of people who applied for international protection at Dublin Airport in 2023 arrived without a correct identity document. In total, 4,712 people arrived at Dublin Airport and claimed asylum in 2023; 4,007 had either no or false identity documents” …breaking news.ie 12 August 2024
Were all these unvetted illegals locked up?… No
Less woke politics and more law and order please!!
”State spent €2.5m per day in 2024 to house International Protectction applicants” -breakingnews.ie 2024.
”airlines fined €2.5m in last two years for flying in passengers without travel documents” Irish examiner 2024
That’s an example of open borders woke politics. Rodders and Helen have an awful lot to answer for. I hope Rodders gets no speaking time in the next Dail the git
@Finn Barr: we need an effective robust immigration system. One where is based on those vulnerable and in need of protection. Additionally the numbers who are coming via Belfast and not through an official port of entry into Ireland and rocking up to the justice office to apply for protection with no identification. The department of education and all the “third level” colleges need to be brought to the table, the number of people who are claiming aslyum while also attending a third level college paying third level fees but applying for aslyum and getting free accommodation!
At least we’ve no more Tweeting Roderic, inviting the dregs of the 3rd world here and it looks like the days of Helen McEntee handing out Irish citizenships like confetti are over, thank phuk.
Michael Healy Rae for the climate job (just to piss off the Greens)
@Dave Callaghan: i think Danny for that portfolio would piss the greens off even more.We might even get the gas storage plant at Ballylongford.
Please let Healy ray be in charge of energy. Pleeeeeease
Not a good time to piśś off our most important trading partner by needlessly involving ourselves in the Gaza/Israel conflict.
Perhaps our new buddies in South Africa can advise on energy policy.
Like us, they cannot run their own country properly, or even keep the lights on, but see fit to interfere in the internal conflict in Israel.
@Thomas Sheridan: South Africa’s energy policy is about 3 hours electricity per day. Then during the blackouts they rob all the copper off the power lines. The natives really made a lovely job of that country since they got it back!!!
This is the South African parliament
@Finn Barr: .https://youtu.be/zP7bsMkIXqo?si=ek8aG9C5XupUE5LG
@Thomas Sheridan: I presume you are talking about the US. The US isn’t our most important trading partner. That’s Europe, and if Israel is brought to book, what harm. I’m equally annoyed with Hamas, etc, but far too many innocents have died during this war and it needs to stop. We have the Israeli Government pulling their Embassy, we’ve had our soldiers( peacekeepers) shot at and harassed by the IDF.
It’s time to end this.
@Thomas Sheridan: So it’s needlessly to speak out about a war where tens of thousands of innocent people are being killed?. So why don’t we stop needlessly getting involved in Ukraine/Russia conflict and the rest of the world conflicts?. Best to stay out of all them and not be selective wouldn’t you say.
@Paul O’Mahoney: Europe isn’t a country, and America is our biggest export market according to the OTB article in today’s Irish Independent.
It also raises the question that I have. Why set ourselves apart from our EU partners in this regard. And for what benefit.
Ireland could have played a more constructive role in the conflict by acting as an independent honest broker rather than a bully to Israel and throwing our lot in with Hamas terrorists.
It simply isn’t our fight.
Its showboating on the international stage and Celtic Tiger type hubris, at a time when we cannot provide housing for our own population.
I note that Ireland is funding new water pipe infrastructure there. Presumably to replace the ones that were dug up to make missiles to be fired at Israeli civilians.
@Finn Barr: it must make the Dunnes Store boycotted really proud
@Enoch Kochwomble: Why should I be told to move to a basket case country for simply expressing a legitimate view that is the same as one of our MEPs today.
Presumably, you would have no problem with the dregs from SA illegally coming here.
Your comment is symptomatic of the Loony Left intolerance to diverse opinions.
FFG may yet rue that they won the election, lots of nasty stuff coming down the track!
@Brian Hunt: Like what? I’m not saying there’s only sunshine and lollipops awaiting us but I would like get read what people think.
As long as McEntee is out that’s fine.
The one glaring issue is getting the likes of Fisheries, Forests and Wildlife into one Dept, like in North America, the very first move being to amalgamate IFI and NPWS and probably EPA as well. At present they are being deliberately held toothless.
Also it will virtually need a new Dept. to oversee getting rid of that asine “no Nuclear” leglislation and planning for achieving our Climate oblgations before we end up paying vast sums to the French on one hand and loosing a large whack of Big Tech and their Data on the other.
I would like to think that Mr.Martin and Mr.Harris have discussed the next US Ambassador?
Make Kilgarvan Great Again
Big task to repair Ireland Energy infrastructure after years of mismanagement by Chief Muppet Ryan.
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