Independent Ireland MEP and former veteran RTÉ reporter, Ciaran Mullooly, has publicly claimed that the government tried to “change” reports at the national broadcaster during his time there.
Mr Mullooly, who was well known as RTÉ’s Midlands reporter for some 26 years, was speaking at the launch of independent Ireland’s general election manifesto in Athlone on Friday. He told the gathering at the Athlone Springs Hotel that he saw attempts by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael to “change coverage,” as reported by the Westmeath Examiner.
The former reporter, who worked for RTÉ from 1993 to 2021, “challenged” the media present to report on his claims, stating:
“This is no myth. I have text messages on my phone from Director of News, who had to stand up to Heads of Communications in government and tell them to mind their own business when they tried to change my reports.
“I challenge the media here to report that. I was fortunate to have a boss who told them where to go, who stood over the journalism that was done. We want to protect our state broadcaster and other broadcasters in the face of commentary like that,” the MEP said.
Mullooly, from Longford, announced his intention to run for Independent Ireland in the European elections back in April, stating that “common sense must prevail,” and asserting that the political system “has failed this community” with regards to the Midlands. He was elected as a Member of the European Parliament for the Midlands–North-West constituency in June.
However, in July, Muillooly was heavily criticised by some voters for accepting an invitation to join the Renew grouping in the European Parliament – a liberal and centrist political group. Independent Ireland aligned with the group of MEPs which includes the MEPs of Fianna Fáil and those of federalist Guy Verhofstadt.
The specific party that Independent Ireland joined – the European Democrats – have advocated in their manifesto for “transgender, transgenerational and transnational diversity” and a Europe of “car free streets” as well as an expansion of EU sovereignty over health, education, and energy.
However, outlining its manifesto promises at Friday’s launch, Independent Ireland pledged to deliver “accountability” and “common sense to voters.”
Key policies outlined in the document include declaring a housing emergency, introducing €1 billion worth of additional supports for agriculture, and freezing “regressive” green taxes.
Aside from agriculture, the manifesto also focused on immigration, with Independent Ireland vowing set up new courts to deal with illegal immigration and to end private accommodation reimbursement for all IPAS applicants.
The party has also said it will impose VAT to the contracts of hotels accommodating IPAS applicants to stop incentivising damage to tourism; and will introduce a mandatory six-month course on Irish history and culture for those coming to Ireland, who must pass an exam, provided in English and Irish only.
Speaking ahead of the election, Independent Ireland TD Michael Fitzmaurice joined Mullooly in telling the launch that he was deeply critical of the handling of the Mercosur trade deal in Dublin and Brussels. He also said that a red line for Independent Ireland would be no national cull of animals, the Westmeath Examiner reports.
The Mercosur trade agreement, agreed by the European Union and Mercosur in 2019, has sparked international backlash from politicians and farmers – who say that it will harm the agriculture sector, due to a lowering of standards on produce, including meat. Politicians, including France’s President Emmanuel Macron, have opposed the deal, saying that farmers need to be protected from the prospect of cheap imports under the deal.
Deputy Fitzmaurice told the manifesto launch: “I’m laying down the gauntlet to our Taoiseach because there is a huge concern that the deal will be split by unelected bureaucrats in Europe and brought in by the back door, and that is very serious for democracy and agriculture.
“I believe our Taoiseach has to go to Ursula von der Leyen (President of the EU Commission) and get an undertaking that this should be brought to every parliament. The consequences are huge, not alone for Ireland, but for farmers across Europe.”
“It’s not good enough for Fianna Fail and Fine Gael and others to wait and see if a deal appears, the deal has been cut, done and colleagues in Europe are telling me that there’ll be a compensation deal, but we’re telling them we don’t want a compensation deal, we want our markets,” MEP Ciaran Mullooly added.