RTE should be invited to Limerick to produce a special report depicting the successful police work and other significant inputs that are producing more positive results. So says Cllr John Gilligan, following a Garda report that showed an impressive drop in criminal activity in the city over the past year. “When I was Mayor of Limerick and the situation here was bad, I had reporters from Dublin, including RTE and from all over the world on to me every day – why not now invite them back to record a more positive image of the city,” he suggested.
Cllr Gilligan’s comment was welcomed as “an interesting idea,” by Garda Superintendent, David Sheahan.
“RTE did carry a programme earlier this year in which the city was not shown in a good light
“It’s a pity RTE didn’t acknowledge the gardai’s activity and that of voluntary groups that did and are doing such great work,
Revealing that he had been contacted by RTE and asked if he personally knew any members of the city’s leading criminal gangs, the city southside councillor, Ger Fahy said:
“I told them I had names of many people who were involved in doing very positive and productive work for the city, but there was no interest from RTE in those people – they only wanted negative stories of criminality, anti-social activity and worse”.
Referring to what he termed a “very unbalanced” programme made by RTE in 2004, during his mayoralty, Cllr Michael Hourigan said the national broadcaster met with him, Limerick City Council executives, Shannon Development, the Chamber of Commerce and other bodies.
“At that time they told us they would be interested in returning at a later date to produce a more positive image of the city etc.
“They did not return for a positive story, despite the very many other attractive and progressive aspects of the city and its people.
“We made an official protest to the national broadcaster at the time”.
Asked by the Limerick Post if, in his official role as Mayor of Limerick, he would deem it appropriate to extend an invitation to RTE to “take another look at the positive elements of Limerick, Cllr Jim Long said that immediately after his election to the mayoralty in June, he emailed RTE outlining the positives about the city.
“The invitation is still there and I would walk the streets with the broadcasting authority to show them those powerful positives”.
