Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
RTÉ WILL CONTINUE to make some in-house children’s programming in 2017, TheJournal.ie has learned.
Back in November, the state broadcaster was heavily criticised after it said it would no longer produce any programming for young people, citing a “challenging financial environment”.
RTÉ instead planned to commission all of its content geared towards young people from the independent sector.
However, it is now understood that the required savings have been found following negotiations between the workers’ union and management.
The station has now temporarily rowed back on the move, saying it will continue to produce some children’s programming this year. TheJournal.ie understands it will be a minimal amount of programming.
A source with knowledge of the situation says the programming being made in-house is for RTÉ Jr, which is aimed at children under the age of seven. “There is nothing being made in-house for any other age group,” they said, adding that many people have lost their jobs.
In November, the broadcaster’s Trade Union Group (TUG) said the original move was announced “without any consultation with trade unions” and held talks with RTÉ in a bid to stop it.
Internal memo
In an internal memo sent to staff in the past 24 hours, and seen by TheJournal.ie, RTÉ acknowledged “the work of the Young People’s Programme (YPP) department over the years and the specific skill set required in the creation of content for YPP”, while the TUG noted “the severe financial constraints under which RTÉ is currently operating”.
It continues: “For its part, RTÉ confirms its commitment in 2017 to the internal production and creation of content for young people as outlined in a 2017 YPP Agreement.
“The parties jointly acknowledge that the required savings have been identified and achieved as part of this negotiation.”
It notes that a number of concerns were raised during negotiation on the issue, stating:
RTÉ and TUG have agreed a plan for 2017 and have identified existing resources which will be used to maintain internally produced YPP content, within current budgets, while delivering the required savings for the organisation.
The memo adds that RTÉ has confirmed its commitment to YPP outreach, meaning the continued presence of YPP at offsite events such as the National Ploughing Championships and Bloom.
The station has also committed to “a high-profile promotion campaign aimed at parents to direct them to YPP content across the various platforms” and keeping TV, radio, online and/or app presences for YPP brands.
The RTÉ and the TUG have agreed to meet quarterly “to review and monitor the ongoing operation of these arrangements”.
In a separate statement sent to TheJournal.ie, a spokesperson for RTÉ said: “RTÉ and the TUG are committed to working together to ensure that younger audiences continue to be served, while maintaining the necessary savings that had previously been identified given RTÉ’s ongoing funding concerns.
“RTÉ will continue to offer the RTÉ Jr service on television, radio, and online/mobile for under sevens, as well as TRTÉ, the block of programming on RTÉ2 for seven to 12 year olds. Details of in-house production are still being worked on and the Trade Union Group and RTÉ have committed to quarterly reviews of the agreement.”
Reaction
Bosco visited TheJournal.ie shortly after the decision was announced in November and was not impressed with RTÉ, saying:
I think it’s because [RTÉ] don’t care about children … because if they did care about children then they wouldn’t take away the programmes.
“It made me very sad because I didn’t want that to happen. I don’t think anybody wanted it to happen. Now they say that they’re going to get lots of other people to make the programmes and I’m sure they’re going to do a very good job, but it’s not going to be the same when there’s no RTÉ Jr … I think it means the end of children’s programmes properly.”
When asked if Bosco trusted the adults in RTÉ, the puppet said:
No, I don’t. I think I’d give them the sack. I think that they should ask everybody what they think because doesn’t everybody pay to have children’s television when they pay their TV licence.
Fair play tothe guards for tackling these gangs but its over to the judges now.. .so that means it’s back on the streets for the criminals to notch up a few dozen m ore convictions
How about an article following up on all the arrests over the last year’s worth of operation Thor to see how many ended up with charges/prison?
Some comments so far are a tad unfair on the Gardai. I’m sure this operation today wasn’t just planned in a day or two to “deflect attention away from scandal” in the force. A lot of preparation has to go into mounting something like this. Things would be a lot worse if the Gardai were not carrying out this type of work.
As for what happens after arrest and charging the legal profession takes over and any weaknesses in the system take place in their patch.
Most of the preparation seems to go on in the Garda Press Office, writing press releases and arranging photographers. From direct knowledge and experience, I view these press releases very, very cynically and sceptically, they often amount to no more than publicity stunts. If nine or ten charges for serious offences don’t come out of this all it is is a publicity stunt. The guards and CAB raided the offices of a solicitor I know a while back, when I met him and asked about it he said they stood outside in the street smoking cigarettes with his secretary, that was all, but the media coverage gave the impression of a huge coup. Needless to mention, when they finished the cigarettes they fücked off and no more came of it.
@ john, I’d say it was planned 2 years ago, they were just waiting on the pass out of the first crop of new Farsi on over 5 years from Templemore!
@Liam, read the piece and see “130 Gardai WILL descend”… press release, written and issued in advance.
It was John Campbell I was addressing!
Pavee Point fairly quiet at the moment, or maybe it’s become a Thor point?
35 villains to be released by judges.
If they are charged… You don’t know they are villains.
you can be a villain without being convicted, but rarely convicted without being a villian.
Love it!
Arrests mean nothing. How many have been charged with indictable offences?
@John Considine: The DPP do the charging, plus they were only just arrested?
Plus indicting is an American thing. We have not yet been annexed by the U.S. and iit’s lefal syatwm doesn’t apply here, no mattwd how many episodes of Law and Order you watch.
Neal and Neil, obviously you live a blameless life and haven’t needed to get to know the Irish legal syst em. All serious offences in Ireland are indictable offences, but don’t take my word for it, read this: http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/justice/criminal_law/criminal_offences/classification_of_crimes_in_criminal_cases.html. Now go back to your television.
Must be free breakfast rolls and Lyons tea in the local Maxol.
Nice of them to let the crime gangs they’re on their way…
*let the crime gangs know
Hope they find me stolen bike from a few weeks ago
Any sign of Irish Wather in the area?
Good one…Last time I heard that I fell off my dinosaur
The criminals have a good scolding from a judge ahead of them before they get bail or a suspended sentence
That will teach them the dim view society takes of their behaviour
@Yenreit: It’s spelled “water” but hey don’t let spelling a basic word incorrectly get in way of your assumptions……
80 Gardai. Student Gardai have no powers to do anything. They are observers. Garda management are incapable of telling the truth on even the simplest of matters.
Timed to deflect from the latest scandal in the force, maybe?
@Jimmyjoe Wallace: Nope. This, Operation Thor is a regular occurrence in the constituency on a number of occasions this year.
Park your conspiracy theories please; I’m sure there’s another article on the Journal you could be posting on instead.
Yes guard, right away guard. (tugs forelock) sorry guard.
Jimmyjoe, you can’t be saying negative things about our professional police service, who always put the people first, before doBdgy business men , don’t do political policing and of course the way they protect honest members otherwise known as a whistleblowers
Our Gardai should be in better shape – big girlie hips on some of them in that photo.
Unfair comment, just because someone carries a bit of weight does not mean they are unfit for the job. If you have ever ran a marathon you would know this.
I would imagine that most female Gardai have girlie hips no?
Yeah we all know criminals run away in straight lines at a marathon running pace, so no need to hop over gates, fences and walls then.
People come in All shapes and sizes you ass. Plus the garda may be wearing g their stab vest and a jacket under their florescent jacket. Hope you’re ripped,fit and skinny to be commenting on some one else
@Jimmy Berg: lol – you think the guy at the back of that photo could catch anyone? He’d be waddling along & out of breath after 20 seconds.
So judging by the red thumbs – I’m in the minority in thinking that our Garda force should maintain a certain fitness level. Sad to see you all have such low expectations & standards.
lol – The Journal just changed the photo…
Well done to our Gardai
Well done to the gardai, taking the competition apart, obviously the price of drugs coming out of Athlone garda station won’t be changing according to one whistle-blower, so it’s best take down the cheaper dealers, and deflect the attention from the godmother, or to put her legal term on it, the commish
Waiting 18 weeks to talk to one particular Garda who is in charge of a investigation into an arson attack on my property. The building was burnt to the ground. They never contacted the witnesses they never looked at the CCTV and of course never made any arrests. Now they won’t even answer the telephone, I’ve only ever spoken to them once, no other Garda will speak about the case either as it’s not theirs. Rang their station to say I had urgent information that needed to be acted on immediately in relation to the case, the Garda said dial 999 then and slammed the phone down.
Thor me hole.
Carlow and Kilkenny has come on loads…I remember the time when the biggest seizure there would be a few hash tablets and a cap gun
Operation Thor?…were they after people who were hammered?
Ill bet Loki was behind it, I hope they caught him …
I actually know Loki. He is long retired! Last person you’d expect.
22 low level dealers and a paltry quantity of drugs. Is that really worth all the man hours that went into prep as well as the wages of 150 for the day? I know they’re getting paid a pittance but it can’t be low enough to justify that.
Hope they rid our country of the scourge of cannabis once and for all.
Cannabis – the most destructive drug known to man. Leaving a path of destruction in its wake.
Nice cannabis plants you’re growing there, be a shame if someone were to seize them
Amazing the amount of work being done since the guards stopped working on water meters back to true crime good on ye
This whole operation is a pretty clear indication, from Garda HQ, that the local coppers just aren’t up to the job.
The guards all got brought on a day out to tralee. It’s a wonder nobody got shot in their absence.
Absolutely nothing impressive with that, considering the amount of guards that took action!!
That’s it, arrest people for using a drug that grows naturally, and is beneficial to mental health, like depression and alcoholics, weed or mushrooms do no harm to anyone, heroin and things like meth are bad and should be banned, but natural drugs. It’s pointless and ignorant to arrest anyone.
Was wondering had the Gardai used ‘Thor’ to track people from the Carlow, Kilkenny area trading – buying & selling class A’s on the un-indexed side of the web (where Google, Bing etc can’t reach, where you need a special browser etc.,), that would be interesting….otherwise a funny naming convention for the operation ,
Great work from the Guards. Shame the criminal justice system probably wont back up their good work.
That’s it, waste tax payers money for people using a plant that grows naturally, and does no harm to anyone, “its ignorant and pathetic that they do this today, , I can understand heroin or meth, as that is bad, but natural drugs like weed, and mushrooms is ridiculous, they actually have huge benefits for mental health like depression and alcoholics, .
have your say