By David Young and Cillian Sherlock, PA
Taoiseach Simon Harris has insisted he is not aware that any member of his team tried to get RTÉ to take down a viral social media clip of a much-criticised encounter with a disability care worker.
The Fine Gael leader was asked about the controversy in the first question posed during Tuesday’s televised election debate on RTÉ Prime Time.
Mr Harris apologised over the weekend for his handling of the discussion with Charlotte Fallon while canvassing in Kanturk in Co Cork on Friday evening.
The Taoiseach was accused of dismissing concerns that Ms Fallon raised about Government support for the disability sector during the exchange filmed by RTÉ in a supermarket.
Mr Harris rang Ms Fallon on Saturday and said he unreservedly apologised for the way he treated her. However, focus has since shifted to Fine Gael’s interactions with the national broadcaster about the social media video.
At the outset of Tuesday’s TV debate, co-host Miriam O’Callaghan directly asked the Fine Gael leader whether a member of his party contacted RTÉ to ask for the clip to be taken down.
“I have no knowledge of that whatsoever, because this clip was entirely appropriate,” said Mr Harris.
“It was a very important moment on the campaign.
“And RTÉ and indeed many media outlets have been with me throughout the campaign, covering many interactions that I’ve had with many, many people right across this country.”
The Taoiseach said the approach by his team member was part of the “normal contact that happens between party politics and broadcasters on a daily basis”.
Mr Harris’ partner-in-government in the last coalition, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, said he was not aware of the approach to RTÉ by Fine Gael.
“I didn’t realise this had happened,” he said.
“I think Simon has given his explanation to it. I’m not sure it’s as normal or as usual. I just get on with it every day. But, again, I think, you know, I’m not au fait with the details behind all of this, or the background to it.
“The video didn’t come down, and it was seen by many, many people.
“And I think it illustrates that out there, there are a lot of people suffering in our society.
“Notwithstanding the progress we’ve made as a country, a lot of people are facing a lot of individual challenges, and our job as public representatives and as leaders in travelling the country is to listen to people, hear their cases, to understand the challenges that they are going through in their lives.
“And when we go about in election campaigns, we have to open up ourselves to criticism and to people calling us to account.”
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald had earlier on Tuesday described reports of the Fine Gael approach to RTÉ as “chilling”.
However, at the start of the debate, she was asked about a media-focused issue related to her own party, namely the controversial manifesto proposal for an independent expert review of RTÉ’s objectivity in its coverage of the war in Gaza and other international conflicts.
Mr Harris previously branded the proposal a “dog whistle to conspiracy theorists” while Mr Martin said it was a “dangerous departure”.
Ms McDonald defended the idea during the RTÉ Prime Time debate.
“Politics and politicians should not try to influence editorial decisions or try and have clips taken down because they are inconvenient to them,” she said.
“There has to be distance, there has to be objectivity. But I would say I am struck by the very defensive reaction from some to this (the review proposal).
“The BBC, for example, a peer review looked at their coverage on migration. Politicians didn’t put their hands on it, and rightly so.
“I think in a world where we have to rely on quality information, especially from the national broadcaster, which is in receipt of very substantial public funding, that has to be the gold standard of reliability. I think peer reviews like that are healthy.”
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