Thread by @browneindo

A quick lesson on how Ireland works, and how RTE is not an "impartial public broadcaster"

On the Claire Byrne Show last night, property developer Michael O Flynn was asked to give his "impartial opinion on SF housing.

He claimed that "the State cannot provide

#cblive

cheaper housing, and that supply is the problem", claiming SF are stopping supply of housing.

Claire however never mentioned that Michael O Flynn was one of five property developers, who took the Government, via NAMA to European Court in 2015, to stop NAMA using its assets

to develop affordable housing.

"Their initial complaint about Nama was lodged with the European Commission in December 2015, following a decision by the Government to extend Nama’s remit into residential property development as a means of tackling the housing crisis."

This

was reported in the Irish Times here

irishtimes.com/business/comme…

The other thing that Claire never mentioned, when she had Michael on as an "impartial observer"... was that in 2015, in banking enquiry hearings about the taking of debt into NAMA, Michael O Flynn admitted to then Labour senator Susan O Keeffe, that 55.5% of his political

donations between 2001-07, were given to Fianna Fail, then in Government at the height of the Celtic Tiger.

irishexaminer.com/news/arid-2034…

But, Michael didn't get where he is by not knowing when the wind changes tack... by 2010, when Fianna Fail's polling figures were gone through the floor after the IMF had come in to sort out the mess.. Michael was one of the infamous "NAMA 10", who were donating heavily to

Fine Gael, who were looking like they were going to be forming a Government soon enough at the time

Michael paid €1500 to play golf with FG grandees, in a fundraiser arranged by then FG leader Enda Kenny and his sidekick at the time, Big Phil Hogan

independent.ie/irish-news/fg-…

So, last night, RTE hosted a show wondering why people should consider voting for SF, and one of its "impartial guests" suggesting that people shouldn't vote for Sinn Fein, was Michael O Flynn

Who took the Government to court to stop NAMA providing affordable housing, and is

a political donor of both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael

And never mentioned a thing about it

Impartial?

@threadreaderapp unroll