Paper declines to release tape of interview

THE Limerick Leader is declining to give out copies of the taped interview between Defence Minister Willie O’Dea and one of its senior reporters, the contents of which has led to the vote of no confidence being table in Willie O’Dea in the Dáil.

Alan English, who is editor of the Limerick Leader and its sister paper the Limerick Chronicle, said verbatim transcripts of the interview are available and they did not see the need to furnish media with copies of the actual tape.

The interview took place on March 9 last at the Clarion Hotel and a story based on it was carried the following day on page one of the Chronicle.

Allegations by Mr O’Dea against Sinn Féin Limerick city councillor, Maurice Quinlivan, led to a subsequent High Court action.

The Chronicle, the oldest newspaper in the Republic dating to 1778, is part of the Limerick Leader and published every Tuesday.

Mr English said they had turned down a request for a copy of the actual taped interview from RTÉ’s Week in Politics programme.

He said the only copies of the tape given out by the newspaper were to Mr Quinlivan’s legal team, who had requested it, and they had also given the same copy of the tape to Mr O’Dea’s legal advisors.

This step was taken on the basis of the newspaper’s own legal advice.

Mr English said: “We gave copies of the tape to both sides strictly on the basis that the tape would not be leaked to the media.”

Verbatim transcripts of the parts of the tape which has led to the current controversy have been given to media who request it.

Mr English said reporter Mike Dwan went to a Fianna Fáil pre-local election press conference on March 9 last with the intention of interviewing Mr O’Dea about Mr Quinlivan and another candidate.

The taped interview lasts four-and-a-half minutes.

The verbatim transcript of the section of tape which is now the subject of the Dáil vote of confidence on Minister of O’Dea reads as follows:

Willie O’Dea: While occasionally we send out letters to planning applicants we have never been involved with anybody who shot anybody or robbed banks, or kidnapped people. I suppose I’m going a bit too far when I say this but I’d like to ask Mr Quinlivan is the brothel still closed?

Mike Dwan: Is the brothel still closed?

WOD: Is the brothel still closed?

MD: What brothel is that, Willie?

WOD: Do you know the brothel they found in his name and in his brother’s name down in Clancy Strand?

MD: I never heard about that.

WOD: Did you not hear that? You better check with your sources. There was a house owned by him that was rented out and they found two ladies of the night operating in there in the last couple of weeks.”

Mr English said today’s edition of the Limerick Leader will carry a comprehensive piece on the story of the taped interview with Mr O’Dea.