RTÉ HAS SAID it has received 16 “mostly negative” emails about The Late Late Show’s host Patrick Kielty’s satirical monologue in which he poked fun at the ongoing scandal within Sinn Féin.

Sinn Féin demanded an apology from RTÉ on Saturday after the latest episode on Friday night. The national broadcaster refused and said the satirical nature of the monologue segment during the programme has been well-established since Kielty took over as host.

Today, a spokesperson for RTÉ has told The Journal that it has received eight formal complaints about the episode, but none of them have come from Sinn Féin.

They added: “There have been 16 emails providing feedback with regards to the monologue, mostly negative.”

During the programme on Friday night, Kielty was discussing the new Irish version of the reality TV show Traitors, announced during last week, in his opening monologue. 

“It’s full of deception, betrayal, everybody keeps changing their stories. All we have to do is work out who is telling the truth,” Kielty said, before showing two photographs of former Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley and party leader Mary Lou McDonald.

“I think that’s the first two contestants there,” Kielty said. “Sinn Féin traitors, the show we all want to see.”

Sinn Féin has been engulfed by a recent scandal over Stanley’s surprise resignation last weekend. Since then, he and McDonald have offered different accounts of the timeline of a complaint made against him and a subsequent internal party inquiry.

On Saturday, during a radio segment with RTÉ News journalist Colm Ó Mongáin, Sinn Féin TD Mairead Farrell stopped the interview to demand the broadcaster apologise for the remarks and accused it of “electoral interference”.

She further criticised RTÉ on the airwaves of allowing “inaccurate, far-right trope” to be repeated on its prime-time, flagship talk show – referencing similar remarks made by anti-immigrant protesters about Sinn Féin in the past.

She said it was “really important” that an apology be issued during this week’s episode because party leader Mary Lou McDonald “has literally received death threats” relating to the term traitor.

Farrell also demanded the episode be taken down from the RTÉ Player website. Ó Mongáin suggested that Sinn Féin take the matter up with the commercial department of the broadcaster.

A spokesperson for RTÉ told The Journal on Saturday: “The comedic and satirical aspect of this section was further reenforced with an implicit joke about the House of Windsor.

“The audience understand this and the comedic nature is clearly evident in the tone and delivery of the monologue.”

The broadcaster said satire was “core” to the freedom of expression and that targeting prominent figures, institutions and organisations with it has been a common theme used by Kielty during his monologues. 

It reminded Sinn Féin that it is entitled to issue a formal complaint about the segment and added that information “has been provided to assist with that”.

Includes reporting by David MacRedmond