Simon Harris says contact with RTÉ over Kanturk carer clip was 'normal'
Picture: Harris Simon Niall File Carson/pa Taoiseach Wire
The Taoiseach has confirmed that there was contact between his team and ahead of the airing of a clip showing his interaction with a carer in a Cork supermarket.
However, Simon Harris said the contact was "normal". Mr Harris on Saturday apologised to Charlotte Fallon after a video of her challenging him on the Government's record on disability services went viral over the weekend.
He said that the team member was "offering a statement and further detail around what my party intended to do around carers and around disability service".
Speaking to the Joe Finnegan Show on this afternoon, Mr Harris said there is "constant contact between political parties and and journalists" during the course of an election campaign.
"But let's be honest, is fully independent, it is entirely appropriate for that clip to be shown, it is a very important interaction on the campaign trail."
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Mr Harris added that offering information such as a statement was "an entirely appropriate and normal thing to do in any sort of political media coverage".
Fine Gael has been called on to clarify communications Simon Harris’s team had with before the airing of the clip.
Mary Lou McDonald has said it was “chilling” that Mr Harris’s team contacted to provide it with measures provided to carers in the most recent budget.
It is the latest flare up over the viral clip involving Mr Harris and care worker Charlotte Fallon, who claimed that the government had done nothing for those working in the disability sector.
However, Paschal Donohoe downplayed the interaction, saying it is commonplace for there to be exchanges between parties and the press both during and outside of an election campaign.
"Any contact that has happened between Fine Gael and any broadcaster or State broadcaster I believe has been appropriate. It is the kind of exchange that happens normally," said Mr Donohoe.
He made pointed reference to Sinn Féin, saying that he nor Fine Gael has never threatened to sue journalists or review the impartiality of a broadcaster.
Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty described Fine Gael as having a “brass neck” over the contact.
However, Fianna Fáil’s Jack Chambers sought to turn the tables back on Sinn Féin raising its controversial proposal of having an independent review into the impartiality of coverage on the ongoing crisis in Gaza.
"I think the chilling effect is from Sinn Féin and its approach to the media in looking to review the editorial independence that is what is of concern to me," he said.
Otherwise, Mr Chambers would not state whether he felt the approach by Fine Gael to was appropriate or not saying he did not know the full details.
Arriving for this evening's leaders' debate at , Mr Harris was asked if his team had told that Ms Fallon was a member of Sinn Féin. He said he "wouldn't think so at all".
He reiterated that he has "already checked out the situation" and that the contact was "entirely appropriate in terms of offering a statement".