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There is growing anger in Ireland following the revelation that RTE has dropped bankruptcy proceedings against Independent Mayo TD Beverley Flynn whilst at the same time prosecutions have been successfully pursued for TV license evasion resulting in the imprisonment of 176 people since 2003.
Although the linkage is indirect i.e. RTÉ does not collect the licence fee, (An Post does this duty on behalf of the Department of Communications)and the broadcaster is not directly responsible for jail sentences imposed on offenders, which is a function of the courts many believe it smacks of double standards.
The main opposition party, Fine Gael, has said it was wrong that people were being imprisoned for failing to the pay small sums involved in license evasion when Ms Flynn would only have to pay RTÉ less than half the €2.8m she owed following a failed libel action against the broadcaster.
Fine Gael TD, Fergus O'Dowd said that it would be appropriate for RTÉ to press the Government for a less punitive approach to licence offenders suggesting that deduction from a convicted evaders wages to pay a debt would be better than the ultimate sanction of imprisonment.
He told the Irish media:
“Everybody must pay, obviously. But if you don't pay, it should be taken off your earnings. I don't think you should go to jail.”
The Flynn/RTE trade-off however seems to be symptomatic of a greater malaise in Irish public life which increasingly sees the Irish political 'glitterati' able to 'walk on water' rather than be brought fully to account.
J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League
12/07/07
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