Waters: No need for €40k payout

A long and extensive apology proposed by journalist John Waters following comments made about him on The Saturday Night Show was “not acceptable” to RTÉ, the broadcaster said.

As the so-called Pantigate controversy continues, a solicitor for Mr Waters issued a statement saying that if the station had “acted appropriately and sensibly on day one, this current storm would never have arisen”.

It said the case could have been settled for a “fraction” of the final €40,000 paid to Mr Waters, and that RTÉ had rejected an initial proposal of an apology and a donation of €15,000 to the St Vincent De Paul charity.