17 April 1997 Edition
RTE refuse right of reply to residents
On Wednesday Gerard Rice from the Lower Ormeau Concerned Communities and Garvaghy Road residents representative Brendan Mac Cionnaith addressed students at University College Dublin.
Both slammed the recent RTE Prime Time programme which accused residents associations of being covers for Sinn Fein. ``These communities,'' observed Mac Cionnaith, ``cover a wide range of the electorate not just Sinn Fein. If further proof is necessary, Patrick Mayhew met with residents groups in January at a time when the NIO office were refusing to meet Sinn Fein.''
He said that both he and the residents' solicitor had contacted RTE to organise a response to the programme, but RTE refused. ``A complaint has now been issued to RTE and residents' groups are prepared to take legal action if the issue is unresolved.''
Both slammed the recent RTE Prime Time programme which accused residents associations of being covers for Sinn Fein. ``These communities,'' observed Mac Cionnaith, ``cover a wide range of the electorate not just Sinn Fein. If further proof is necessary, Patrick Mayhew met with residents groups in January at a time when the NIO office were refusing to meet Sinn Fein.''
He said that both he and the residents' solicitor had contacted RTE to organise a response to the programme, but RTE refused. ``A complaint has now been issued to RTE and residents' groups are prepared to take legal action if the issue is unresolved.''