What do you think of that, Joe Brolly? Clare Co Co motion to reinstate axed pundit 'a waste of paper'
A council motion seeking ministerial intervention to re-instate Joe Brolly as an RTÉ football analyst has been described as “a waste of paper it is on”.
Cllr Alan O’Callaghan (FF) made his comment at the adjourned February meeting of Clare County Council on Monday where the ‘Brolly’ motion was roundly defeated by members.
Cllr O’Callaghan told the meeting: “It is a waste of paper it is on. It is waste of council time and a waste of council officials’ time.”
He added:
It is a waste of council chamber time – an absolute waste of time – the only time I want to see a ‘brolly’ at a match is a day that it is raining.
Cllr O’Callaghan was responding to a motion by Cllr Gerry Flynn (Ind) calling on the Minister for Communications to request RTÉ to re-instate Joe Brolly as a pundit as soon as possible.
However, beyond the three signatories to the motion, Cllr Flynn, Cllr Ann Norton (Ind) and Cllr PJ Ryan (Ind) the motion failed to get any support from any other councillor and it falls as a result.
Cllr Flynn stated that placing the motion has opened up a debate.
He told the chamber: “That is exactly what I wanted - because sometimes it takes courage to speak out against some of the sacred cows in our society – and RTÉ fits that description.”
Cllr Flynn accused RTÉ presenters of “fuelling criticism of elected members who are doing their best”.
Cllr Flynn said that Joe Brolly as an analyst is “entertaining, interesting and controversial” and “I don’t see any harm in questions being asked of RTÉ by the Minister”.
He added: “I would be encouraging the Minster to put an end of any suggestion of an increase in the TV license to fund overpaid presenters.”
He pointed out that the most recent data shows that the top 10 earners at RTÉ earned over €3m.
Cllr Flynn stated that he hoped Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael on the council “don’t go along protecting one of the sacred cows”
Cllr PJ Ryan (ind) told the chamber: “RTÉ have got too big for their boots, they are taken a massive amount of money from the public.”
He stated:
They got rid of poor old Joe, they got rid of Tracy Piggott and they have got rid of Mary Kennedy – all low hanging fruit.
Cllr Joe Cooney (FG) and current Clare GAA county board chairman told the meeting that the FG group would not be supporting the motion.
He stated: “It is not our business who RTÉ put on their programmes.”
Cllr Pat O’Gorman (FF) told the meeting that “there is no fear of Joe Brolly, Joe Brolly is well able to look after himself”.
He stated: “We should be here talking about the people of Clonlara being flooded out of their homes rather than talking about Joe Brolly and no fear of himself.”
Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) stated that there should be no political interference in editorial decisions made by RTÉ.
