taken from the Irish Emigrant 27/03/1988
The young reporter who compiled the report that had Martin McGuinness speaking on the air was dismissed by RTE on Monday. Jenny McGeever has now taken the matter to the High Court and has been given leave to apply for a judicial review of her dismissal. No action is being taken against the editor and assistant editor of the programme. McGeever was a freelance reporter on contract to RTE. She is claiming that she could not report effectively if she did not tape interviews with various people. The fact that one of these interviews went out on the air was simply an oversight caused by the pressure to have the story ready for transmission.
This news item gave rise to a couple of related stories. The Gay Byrne morning radio programme was investigating the impact of emigration on families. He invited to the studio a woman whose husband had emigrated because he could not find work. After the programme was broadcast it was discovered that the woman was a member of Sinn Fein. The other programme under the eye of the press and politicians is “Questions and Answers”. This programme goes out on television on Sunday nights and is hosted by Olivia O’Leary. The format consists of a panel of politicians and other personalities giving their opinions on issues raised by individuals in an audience drawn from members of the public who apply for tickets. Members of Sinn Fein appear to have been particularly successful in obtaining tickets.
McGeever got sacked…… Gay Byrne who interviewed Lydia Comiskey 23/03/1988 in a less vox pop more researched and more live way, Comiskey was Joint National Treasurer of Sinn Fein at the time. Gay Byrne stayed in his job. I saw Larry O’Toole (SF) from Dublin North East on RTE TV tonight, he was restricted access to the airwaves under Section 31 also, as a shop steward in the Gateaux strike, O’Toole was from the Finglas bakery where the workers (in 1990) held a 16 week occupation, now there is a good work place to occupy, a cake factory. mmmmmmmm will Gaybo keep his promise and leave his current job, “If I find, in a reasonable period of time, there is a lack of co-operation by civil servants or stone walls, or if I find that what I was told was all lies I will walk away as quick as Eddie Shaw or even quicker” as the deaths on Irish roads increase under his tenure.