O’Flynn denies threat to RTÉ

FIANNA Fáil TD Noel O’Flynn has insisted he was not making “an implied threat” to RTÉ when faced with questions about a parliamentary trip he led to South America at the taxpayer’s expense.

But Mr O’Flynn, chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, was criticised by one committee member yesterday for the way he handled the interview.

Labour Senator Kathleen O’Meara, who was not part of the delegation to South America, disassociated herself from his remarks.

The 12-day trip to Argentina and Chile to examine port facilities, energy development and the salmon industry at cost of around €13,500.

When contacted by an RTÉ reporter, Mr O’Flynn pointed to other aspects of the committee’s work: “We’ll be inviting your authority in to visit us very shortly - the RTÉ authority and your senior management - to review your year’s work and to review your annual report in RTÉ, because that comes under my committee.”

At a meeting of the committee yesterday, Ms O’Meara said Mr O’Flynn’s reference in the interview to the licence fee was inappropriate.