By Cate McCurry, PA
The Sinn Féin leader has described reports that Fine Gael contacted the state broadcaster about a video of Simon Harris’s encounter with a care worker in Cork as “chilling”.
The Fine Gael leader accepted that party officials contacted RTÉ about the video, claiming it was to provide details about his plans for carers and disability services.
Mr Harris said he spoke to Charlotte Fallon, a disability worker with St Joseph’s Foundation, after a clip of an exchange between them on Friday went viral.
RTÉ footage posted to the social media site X shows Mr Harris on a canvass in Kanturk when Ms Fallon tells the Taoiseach carers “were ignored” and the Government has “done nothing for us”.
Mr Harris responds by saying “no, not at all” and “that’s not true” several times before shaking her hand.
It was reported on Tuesday that members of Fine Gael contacted the broadcaster to express concern over the video.
Asked about these reports, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said it was “chilling”.
On Tuesday, Mr Harris told South East Radio he was not aware of any attempts by his party to stop the video being posted.
“No, I don’t believe so. This was a very serious moment on the campaign, and it was quite right it was broadcast,” he said.
“I always expected it to be the case.”
However, in an interview with Joe Finnegan on Northern Sound radio, he said he understood contact had been made.
“There’s always constant contact between political parties and RTÉ and journalists during the course of an election campaign, and I understand that there may have been contact in terms of offering RTÉ a statement or further detail about what my party intended to do around carers and around disability services.
“But let’s be honest, RTÉ is fully independent, and it is entirely appropriate for that clip to be shown. It was an important interaction on the campaign trail.”
Asked if contact was made about the video clip and how it might be handled by RTÉ, he said: “No, I wouldn’t accept that characterisation.”
It comes after Fine Gael criticised Sinn Féin’s manifesto proposal to have an independent review of RTÉ’s coverage of Gaza and other conflicts in the Middle East.
Mr Harris said: “Perhaps most chillingly, in their manifesto there are a number of very concerning developments around the media itself.
“Have we ever heard a political party in this country say that we should all get together and check if RTÉ, or indeed anybody else, is being objective on an issue.”
Fine Gael colleague Paschal Donohoe said any contact between Fine Gael and RTÉ would be “appropriate”.
“It’s the kind of exchange that happens normally,” he added.
“My party and I have never threatened to sue any journalist. We’ve never threatened to review the impartiality of any journalist, of any broadcaster, by the national broadcaster.”
He added: “We have exchanges of views all the time. We’re answering our questions here today. I want to emphasise again that any contact that would have happened would be entirely appropriate. It’s the kind of contact that happens, not only in election campaigns, but outside of them.
“My party, over many years in government, has never once made any statement or threatened to review the impartiality of any broadcast of state or otherwise, and we have never threatened any journalist or challenged any statement that they have made.
“I think we need to just take a step back about where we are at the moment in the election campaign. We are a few days away from the people making a decision regarding who the next government will be. All these issues are really important. They all deserve scrutiny. They all deserve interrogation.
“But we have a broader question regarding what kind of government do we want, and what kind of government do we want when the costs and risks of instability are growing.”
He added: “I think the issues that were highlighted in the video on Friday night are ones that our country cares very deeply about.
“I know our country cares very deeply about how we give care, how we support those who have disabilities, who have additional needs, and those who look after them.
“I think the reaction to that video and the discussion that has happened is to be seen in light of that. What I’d also though really make the case for is, I’ve known Simon Harris now for many, many years, and I’ve never seen anybody who cares more about these issues than he does.
“One of the reasons he’s reacted like how he has now since Friday, is if there is any issue that Simon cares so deeply about, it is issues regarding how we support those who are vulnerable and additional needs, and it’s really got to him and cut into him regarding that particular engagement.”
RTÉ has been contacted for comment.
