Cúrsaí an Lae presenter Neasa Ní Chualáin and FF MEP Seán Ó Neachtain
Radió na Gaeltachta have announced that they are axing current affairs programme “Cúrsaí an Lae” on February 5th as part of a “station reshuffle”. The show will be replaced with a similar programme in its slot called “Tris Anir”, though it has not yet been said who the new presenter will be.
The move comes not long after R na G received a complaint (written on official EU paper) from Fianna Fáil MEP for Ulster and Connaught Seán Ó Neachtain who claimed presenter Neasa Ní Chualáin had been biased against him in an interview in October.
In a letter to the station’s director general Edel Ní Churráin, Ó Neachtain wrote:
“Iarraim ort mar cheannaire féachaint chuige go mbeidh cothromas agus proifisiúntacht ag baint le cúrsaí craolacháin ar an stáisiún.
Bhí mé riamh bródúil agus measúil ar Raidió na Gaeltachta ach is trua liom go bhfuil duine amháin in ann an dea-mhéin sin a loit agus ní hé don chéad uair é.”
English translation:
“I urge you as director general to make sure that professionalism and fairness are maintained throughout your broadcasts.
I used to be proud of and have respect for Radió na Gaeltachta but I am disappointed that one person has ruined this high regard and not for the first time”.
Ó Neachtain told Irish language newspaper “Lá” that Neasa Ní Chuláin had made personal, biased and untrue references to him and his family but that once he was given the chance to go on the show and explain his side of the story the matter could be resolved.
He also said that he wasn’t the first politician to complain about the presenter.
While R na G denies that changes to programming have any connection to Ó Neachtain’s complaint, Fine Gael spokesperson for Gaeltacht Affairs Dinny McGinley said he would be requesting an explanation from the Irish language radio station in the next few days.
“Any fundamental changes to the radio schedule should be explained by Ráidió na Gaeltachta”, he said.
Cúrsaí an Lae is a daily current affairs show that draws in the second biggest listenership on Radió na Gaeltachta. Native Irish speaker Neasa Ní Chualáin has won broadcasting awards in the past and is thought to be one of the more “cutting edge “of the Irish language broadcasters.
It has not been announced whether she will have anything to do with the replacement show “Tris Anir”.
