Patrick O'Donovan can’t help making the wrong sort of headlines

From a weird comment about Coimisiún na Meán to yesterday's RTÉ bombshell — the Limerick County TD and minister keeps rubbing people up the wrong way, writes Elaine Loughlin

Culture, communications and sport minister Patrick O'Donovan at yesterday's post-budget press conference. Picture: PA

“Could Patrick O’Donovan just take a day off from being a fucking eejit? Seriously?”

O’Donovan may have strongly hit back at being dubbed an eejit by Irish-language podcaster Doireann Ní Ghlacáin, but he certainly isn’t taking any time off when it comes to getting himself tangled up in bickering and controversy.  

A bit of a liability

The media and culture minister has been described as a bit of a liability in what has been a largely non-event budget process. 

He now seems to have a knack for rubbing people up the wrong way, embroiling himself in unnecessary arguments with ministers, backbenchers, State agencies, and — in the case of the opening quote — podcasters.

Ní Ghlacáin, one part of the How to Gael podcast trio, had asked that question after O’Donovan lobbed a grenade in amongst the Irish-speaking community when he suggested in recent weeks that the new media regulator should not have been called Coimisiún na Meán. 

Broadcaster and podcaster Doireann Ní Ghlacáin asked minister Patrick O’Donovan to 'take a day off from being a f***ing eejit' after his comment about the name of Coimisiún na Meán. Picture: TG4

He told an Oireachtas committee that giving the organisation an Irish language name has led to “a bit of confusion”, especially internationally.

It’s highly unusual for those who have ‘Gaeilge líofa’ to advance an argument in favour of reducing the amount of Irish visible across the State, but then again O’Donovan often takes a contrarian view.

At a packed house for O’Donovan’s post-Cabinet media briefing in Government Buildings yesterday — unusual for such a small department — the minister dismissed Ní Ghlacáin’s remarks and said he would not be reacting to such personal attacks. 

He suggested that she might focus on the allocation of €34.4m for the basic income for the arts scheme in upcoming episodes.

But he did have plenty to say over the course of an hour-long press briefing and, in doing so, has got himself into the headlines yet again.

It was not a good budget for O’Donovan, who, with an overall funding package of just €848m, was given “very little scope”. 

€100 culture credit plan axed 

A €100 culture credit for 16-year-olds was swiftly axed in testy negotiations with public expenditure minister Jack Chambers, confirmation coming yesterday that it will not be delivered next year despite much speculation and spin.

Last week, sources let it slip that a meeting between O’Donovan and the minister for public expenditure had not gone well, and was becoming the talk along the ministerial corridor. 

On Friday, the Irish Examiner ran a front-page report detailing the breakdown in talks which amounted to a fractious eight-minute meeting, leading to a walkout by the media minister.

His much-touted culture credit, which had been leaked to a Sunday newspaper, was off the table, along with a long list of demands being sought by O’Donovan.

Sources described a meeting between O’Donovan and Chambers as “concise”, stating that “both sides went back to their corners fairly quickly”.

“Any of the things that have been raised over the past two years have been cut. A lot of the stuff that is in the programme for government is gone,” the source added.

Last Friday's front-page report on pre-budget tensions including O'Donovan's walkout — not the sort of headline a minister would want to generate. 

Over the weekend, the spin machine went into overdrive, sources stating that funding might just be found to advance the idea of the card, leaving a little bit of hope for O’Donovan. But on budget day, Chambers made it clear that there would be no culture card in 2027.

When asked about the tetchy exchanges and walkouts, Chambers said: “I think there’s more written about this than maybe was actually went on within the room.”

When both men only remained in the room together for a matter of minutes, what else could have been expected?

RTÉ budget bombshell 

Then yesterday another bombshell landed from O’Donovan’s department — RTÉ would not be getting its expected budget allocation, and would instead receive €20m less.

RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst quickly issued a blistering statement, warning that the reduction in funds at such a late hour would have consequences and would limit what the State broadcaster can do.

But O’Donovan was in fighting mood.

“While progress has been made across a number of issues, I am not happy that we have seen sufficient progress in delivering the smaller, more agile organisation that was to be delivered under the strategy,” he said of RTÉ, citing a 20% staff reduction target between 2025 and 2029.

Highlighting his loyalty to the constituents of Limerick County who elected him to the Dáil, he said: “I have to step on toes to stand up for the people for whom I have responsibility as minister. I’m sure that there’s other ministers that do that as well.

“But that is my job. My job is to get the best possible deal for the people that I am responsible for and the agencies that I am responsible for.”

O’Donovan’s problem is he is running out of toes to step on.

• Elaine Loughlin, Political Editor