Sir, – So, not a single member of the RTÉ board had the moral courage to resign following the callous treatment of Fr Reynolds.Surely an excellent example of “groupthink” at the highest level. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Following the meeting of the board of RTÉ with Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte on the libelling of Fr Kevin Reynolds in the “Mission to Prey” programme, it has emerged that no resignations from the board were sought or offered. Mr Rabbitte said the board fully appreciated the seriousness of the damage that had been caused, saying, “the systems failed”.
I don’t believe the systems failed,they were routinely ignored. It appears that there was a collective decision to short-cut accepted standards of journalism and therefore those responsible should be collectively held accountable.
If instead of a Catholic cleric, the accused had been a Protestant minister, a rabbi, a Buddhist, an imam or any other religious figure,would RTÉ have behaved in such an appallingly venomous and undisciplined manner with their reputations? I doubt it. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Earlier last week, Labour Party Ministers claimed in one breath that they supported the separation of church and State, while in the next, that they felt entitled to give their “personal opinion”, calling for the resignation of a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church.
Later in the week, some of these self-same Ministers were questioned in relation to whether there should be further RTÉ resignations, following the report into the Prime Time Investigates debacle.
Each and every one of the Ministers all kicked for touch, saying that the matter was not for them, but for the Minister for Communications. For some reason, they did not wish to give their “personal opinion” on this matter.
Why, when it comes to church-bashing, do Labour Party Ministers feel free to give their personal opinion, yet, when it comes to a more “political” matter, they are not so forthcoming, and toe the party line? – Yours, etc,