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LAST UPDATE | 14 Apr
THE COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER is understood not to be pursuing a formal review of coverage of last week’s fuel protests following discussions with Coimisiún na Meán, despite his own suggestions that he would.
Patrick O’Donovan suggested yesterday that media coverage had been “lopsided” in favour of the fuel protest and that “carte blanche was given to some people”.
He said he would be asking Coimisiún na Meán to review coverage from the national broadcaster, RTÉ, and others.
“We heard a lot of lopsided political views,” the minister claimed, adding that he “didn’t hear” any of the views of economic actors, such as employers, who were negatively impacted by the fuel protests last week.
He made the comments during radio interviews with Waterford’s WLR, Tipp FM and Limerick’s Live 95.
However, following today’s meeting with Coimisiún na Meán, it is understood the Minister is not now pursuing a formal review.
The regulator is understood to have set out its existing role in overseeing broadcasting standards, as well as its independence of function.
Coimisiún na Meán also confirmed its prior commitment to launch a public consultation on media service codes in the second half of this year.
The regulator informed the Minister it had received a number of public contacts regarding media coverage of last week’s events and would follow up on any formal broadcasting complaints received.
Speaking in the Dáil this afternoon during the motion of confidence in the Government, Labour leader Ivana Bacik likened O’Donovan’s comments yesterday to Hungary’s outgoing authoritarian prime minister Viktor Orbán.
Bacik was criticising Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan for helping to “swell protest numbers” after he “inflamed” the situation by announcing he was calling in the army.
“Not to be outdone of course, the Minister for Media announced yesterday that he wants Coimisiún na Meán to investigate media coverage of the protests.
“Goodbye Victor Orban, hello Patrick O’Donovan,” Bacik said.
She added: “At best, one could hope it was a cynical attempt to distract from a disastrous week for the government.
“At worst, it is a Minister resorting to sinister threats against the national broadcaster because it was doing its job of reporting with truth and accuracy on events around the country.”
Bacik’s criticism comes after Tánaiste Simon Harris earlier slapped down any suggestion of a review.
No need for formal review
Harris said he was a big supporter of freedom of the media and added:
“Of course, at the end of any difficult period, you can look back and say at a moment a national crisis ‘how do we get information out there, are there learnings?’
But I certainly don’t think there’s any need for any sort of formal review.
He said these are matters for Coimisiun na Mean, but added:
“We have, in this country, a free media, we have a robust media, and I think we have a fair media.”
Pressed on whether he agreed with his Fine Gael colleague’s suggestion that coverage had been skewed in favour of protesters, Harris said: “I think the media, like everybody in this country, we’re doing their best to deal with a fast evolving and very difficult situation.”
NUJ Assistant General Secretary Séamus Dooley said the comments from the minister were “sinister and deeply disturbing” and an interference in editorial independence.
Asked about the matter on his way into Cabinet this morning, Harris said there is no need for “any sort of formal review” into RTE or other media outlets’ coverage of fuel protests.
A number of other opposition TDs also hit out at the media minister’s comments, with Social Democrats Sinead Gibney saying it was an “overreach” by O’Donovan.
“The minister is basically deflecting from the incompetence of this government to deal with these protests and the cost of living crisis,” she said.
SocDem’s Sinéad Gibney says Media Minister Patrick O’Donovan’s request of a review of news coverage of last week’s protest is “overreach”.
— TheJournal Politics (@TJ_Politics) April 14, 2026
“The minister is basically deflecting from the incompetence of this government to deal with these protests and the cost of living crisis.” pic.twitter.com/R7hceXvH7P
Independent Ireland TDs Michael Collins and Richard O’Donoghue also hit out at the minister, with Collins calling the minister’s remarks “scandalous”.
“He was basically telling you not to do your job, to do it a certain way, steer it a certain direction that suits the government narrative,” Collins told reporters today.
“I thank the media, even though the ministers inside at the moment are giving out, but you followed both sides of the story. You told the true story that was happening…
“I’m not always praising you, but today I am praising you, and I thank you for telling both sides of story, and when you told it, they gave out that you told one side of the story, you followed that, and that’s what we all need to follow.
“So please don’t let them destroy the good name of the hard-working people in this country,” O’Donoghue told reporters at Leinster House this morning.
Ahead of today’s Cabinet meeting, the Tánaiste said it is “important to be humble and be listening in a government”
However, he went on to say that protesters cannot make their point “to the detriment of someone else’s wellbeing”.
While he said he fundamentally believed in the rights of protest, he had “significant concerns around the blocking of oil refineries”.
“I draw the line between protesting and other activities that – in the words of An Garda Síochana – were illegal, like blocking the mobility of people,” he added.
With reporting from Jane Matthews
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