Maman Poulet

Green Party leader John Gormley’s announcement about saving the Equality Authority from the drastic cuts in budget and stopping the move to Roscrea made at the Green Party Conference is full of??

Answer to question from Aengus O’Snodaigh from Minister for Justice Equality and Law Reform Dermot Ahern on March 24th

To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the recent statement to the effect that the decentralisation of the Equality Authority will not continue and that an independent review of its budget will be conducted; if he will confirm the substance of this statement; the position regarding the Equality Authority in view of the fact that its staff is split between two locations as a result of decentralisation to date; the make-up, form and timeframe of the planned budget review; if he will offer a guarantee that the 43% budget cut will be reversed; and the extent to which it will be reversed.

Answer….(Edited by MP to include relevant bit!)
….Discussions have been ongoing between my Department and the Authority on its cost base. The savings, already announced in relation to accommodation and IT, have enabled the Authority to concentrate on its core programme objectives of working towards the elimination of discrimination and promoting equality of opportunity. The Deputy will appreciate that no review of funding of any public body at present can operate without reference to the grave Exchequer position.

Under the Plan the Authority is open for business at both of its offices, in Birchgrove House, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary and in Clonmel Street, Dublin. I recently agreed in principle to a request from the Chair of the Equality Authority to delay on hardship grounds the transfer of 4-5 staff to Roscrea. I have asked my officials to work out the details on a case-by-case basis with the acting Chief Executive Officer of the Authority and to review the situation again in 2011 when other aspects of the wider decentralisation programme are due to be reviewed. I understand from the Equality Authority that fifteen staff have taken up duty at the Roscrea offices of the Authority, a total which will increase to 23 people in the coming weeks.

Over to you Minister Gormley?

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Diarmuid Doyle on Picturegate in today’s Sunday Tribune.

The problem is that the people doing the managing on his [Cowen's] behalf are doing a poor job. Anybody with even the basic knowledge of modern communications, of how a small story can be propelled around the world by a combination of blogs, social networking sites, YouTube and talk radio would have said nothing after RTÉ did its piece on Monday night. By contacting Cathal Goan, and making it briefly seem as though we were all living in Zimbabwe, O’Neachtain gave legs to a story that would probably have gone away. This was a small challenge, and O’Neachtain made a mess of it. It’s no wonder the government is finding it difficult to explain the big stuff.

Lots of coverage in Tribune today including Una Mulally on role of internet in the continuation of the story, a lead article by Ken Foxe providing a chronology of events, some quotes of the week, a column by Kevin Rafter, and an editorial and even a radio review of Ray Darcy’s show and other coverage this week.

Off out for dinner and I’m going to actively not think of y-fronts for one evening this week

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The Labour Party National Conference is taking place this weekend in Mullingar. There is a lot of online coverage with many bloggers and embedded tweeters. You can follow the live blog here and watch proceedings live on Ustream.

I’m wondering as I did for Brian Cowen and John Gormley what musical offering you would suggest to Eamon Gilmore for his speech this evening?

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In case bloggers and others interested in online engagement are not aware – Monday next (30th March) sees the folk from Micandidate.eu provide tea, coffee and pastries and hopefully answers to lots of as yet unanswered questions on the new platform. It takes place at 6.30pm in the European Commission Offices in Molesworth Street. All bloggers and those interested in online engagment and technology are invited. I’m was not going to use the ’social media’ term but if it fits you that means you also

Another launch and demonstration for politicians and citizens takes place the following day – March 31st – at 9.30am in the Science Gallery in TCD.

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I’ve been trying to get some sort of hold on what I think this week’s events are about. So here goes…

Picturegate was not about the pictures, not about the gallery and someone putting the pictures into a gallery. It’s not about gender or the exasperating comment heard from Mary O’Rourke this week ‘if a woman was painted in that manner people would be up in arms.’ We would not have seen the pictures in the press if images of naked women had been involved. And again especially for Mary O’Rourke – it was not about Brian Cowen’s privacy in the toilet.

It was about the apology, the subsequent coverage, what constitutes news and a right to cover the story and way in which that coverage should be framed. It most importantly is about the ongoing Garda investigation which only took speed 2 weeks after the incident. It’s still about the lack of understanding of satire, art and the role of caricature in public discourse.

Miriam Lord confirms my impression that few in the Dáil or anywhere else cared much about these paintings until the apology was made for the report on the Nine O’Clock News.

Portraitgate exploded on Tuesday night after RTÉ apologised for featuring images of a very unflattering caricature of the Taoiseach that was stuck on a wall in the National Gallery when nobody was looking.

But here’s an interesting thing. The incident happened a few weeks ago. It came to public attention when it was featured, with photographs, in the Sunday Tribune . The following night, RTÉ news ran the story.

The next day, Tuesday, was a sitting day in the Dáil. Lots of activity around the place, lots of journalists about, lots of TDs. Here’s the funny thing: nobody was talking about the caricatures. In Leinster House, if there is a controversy brewing or indignation on the rise, it flies around the place in record time.

That night in the bar, the talk was of lots of things. But not of those rude paintings of Biff in the Buff. Then, at the end of the nine o’clock news, that apology was read out. Mobile phones beeped throughout the House.

Portraitgate had became a talking point. Certain people decided it was time to be offended. Strange, the way things happen. Maybe some good can come out of the mess. Look at all the publicity two paintings of a half-naked politician can command. As the week went on, people were clamouring to buy the offending artwork. Websites were doing a steady trade in Biff-in-the-Buff T-shirts.

I’m off to work on my postcard.

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There are quite a number of unresolved issues from #picturegate – #Cowengate which I’m interested in exploring.

The nature of the complaints to RTE before and after the apology was broadcast is one area and I’ve been in touch with RTE this afternoon.

Following the broadcast of the original piece on Monday night RTE received 48 calls of complaint and 2 emails including one call from the government press office.

Following the broadcast of the apology to An Taoiseach on Tuesday night over 100 emails of complaint about the apology – ie. complaining that RTE apologised – were received. 10 telephone calls were also received. 2 calls complaining about the original piece were also logged. These are the figures are those received up to yesterday evening.

RTE’s Press Office stated quite categorically that it was RTE senior management who took the decision to withdraw the piece from the website and make the apology before the complaints were considered. It was felt that the tone was wrong and that the piece was in bad taste and too much time was spent showing the portraits themselves. RTE stated that they ‘did not capitulate’ to pressure from the Government.

Whilst stating that RTE frequently receive calls from all types of organisations trying to influence and complain about news coverage, the integrity of the News department is most important. RTE are more than aware of the coverage on this issue online and wished to clarify the perception that the apology.

A debate on RTE, the apology and all those issues around it would be very useful – I did think afterwards of suggesting we hold one – I’ll be back to RTE in the next week on the matter!

An article in today’s Irish Independent on the changing nature of contact between the Government Press Office and RTE – ie by phone and in person to avoid FOI requests led me to ask RTE if they would be aware of this. RTE say they have not noticed any change in the manner in how complaints are received.

A parting thought for the moment – Now more than ever RTE editors need to start blogging and engaging online with viewers and explaining how editorial decisions are made – a call I and others have made before given the excellent BBC editors blog.

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Garett is running for Fianna Fáil in the forthcoming local election in the constituency of Pembroke/Rathmines.

Can I make it through a post without mentioning his older brother? Well Garrett is far more web savvy than himself it seems – he still says the words ‘web blog’ with difficulty and well probably not appropriately but sure we’ll have video blogs each week between now and June 5th to see him fit into the blogopolis’s youtube continent (!) with ease.

One might say Garrett is following a long line of Fianna Fáil traditions in making sure one name checks parts of the constituency at all given opportunities – aka Charlie ‘Tallaght, Jobstown Killinarden’ O’Connor T.D. So if you live in Ballsbridge, Miltown or Rathmines and you get a knock on the door and it’s Garrett , be sure and say hello and tell him Maman Poulet warned you he was coming!

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From this mornings Irish Times – I paraphrase. Cowen didn’t ask for complaint to be made (or was consulted about it) regarding the piece on the  Nine O’Clock News. Instead it was a Government Press Officer performing a solo run (oops that nearly came out as knicker twister ala Miriam Lord).

But RTE say that their senior management had already decided to remove the piece from the website and apologise before the complaint was made.  

Positively Pavlovian! I wonder how morale in the newsroom is?

So who are the powers that be who have the Gardai in Pearse Street going to Today FM studios, interviewing the artist (an investigation referred to in The Examiner by Charlie Flanagan Fine Gael TD as ’sinister’) and the artist handing over 5 pieces of his work?

The Garda Press Office refused to comment on the approaches to the Ray Darcy Show. Conor Pope points to blogs and the internet as ‘hopping’ with news and criticism on the controversy.

Thats sums up the domestic mainstream print coverage until the Irish Independent comes online.

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Miriam Lord, Queen Bee of parliamentary sketch writing, on Portraitgate/Cowengate in today’s Irish Times.

The Taoiseach’s mobile phone rings twice while he is on his feet during Leaders’ Question. He doesn’t take the call.

It’s probably from one of the knicker-twisters, getting in touch to tell Brian that the Garda Emergency Response Unit can be mobilised to track down the man who painted two unflattering portraits of the Taoiseach and then hung one in the National Gallery when nobody was looking.

“Shockin’, boss, shockin’. No respect for the dignity of your office. Leave it to us. We’ll lay into the media on your behalf, secure a grovelling apology from RTÉ on the nine o’clock news, berate any broadcasters who dare to mention the incident, send the rozzers into Today FM and insist they reveal the computer record of their discussions with the perpetrator.

“That’ll put a stop to the matter, boss. We’re not thick as two short planks for nothing.�

It had to be them, ringing on his mobile. Who else would call up the Taoiseach during Leaders’ Questions? And still we mused, watching Cowen and wondering what it was about him yesterday that was so different.

Go read the entire column – it may make you laugh in case you’ve been too angry…

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Maman Poulet’s inbox is a treasure trove some days. Tonight’s jewel is a leak of the new Fine Gael logo due to be launched at the Fine Gael Ard Fheis next week. Lots of leaflets were printed for local election candidates with the old logo but instead of a new leader as many would like it’s a new logo and new leaflets for the candidates.

This time it’s all caps for the logo and a starfish/eurostar star…or something!? I’m underwhelmed. A new website is also on it’s way though!

The old logo for reference in case you are not familiar.

If anyone has a digital file of the new image you can of course send it to me – details in contact section.

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