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We are the laughing stock.
Read more about: Fianna Fail 
So begins another day of picturegate. So what have we learned today in the Newspapers.
GOVERNMENT PRESS secretary Eoghan Ó Neachtain has said he did not consult the Taoiseach or anyone else before making a complaint to RTÉ about a news item relating to the hoax nude portraits.
Basically Cowen did not ask RTE to drop the show and apologise for the incident but his press secretary but also this was not the reason for the apology
an RTÉ spokeswoman confirmed the decision to offer an apology was taken before they received the complaint from Mr Ó Neachtain.
So what does this tell us? Well for one thing it shows the Mr Ó Neachtain really is not very good at his job.
The purpose of a press secretary is to control a story as much as they can. To shape the representation of the story as much as possible. At this he has failed miserably, he turned what was a joke a light hearted news story that would have been dead in a day into a story that has Cris-crossed the world. RTE apologised for
any disrespect shown to the office of the Taoiseach
But in doing so and making this an international story the reaction to the story by the government has put the reputation of the Office of Taoiseach in a worse place then the hung pictures ever did. If Mr Ó Neachtain really cared about the reputation of the Taoiseach he must apologise to his Taoiseach for making him a laughing stock Conor Caspy did not making him a laughing stock merely smirking stock for Irish people it is Mr Ó Neachtain who has not only made Cowen a laughing stock but Ireland.
Now that is of course on the proviso that when Mr Ó Neachtain says the Taoiseach had no knowledge of this he is telling it is true. That of course begs the question what the Gardaí meant when they told the Ray D’Arcy show
“the powers that be demand Action”
What powers that be? Something tells me the Taoiseach’s press secretary does not have the power to send the Gardaí anywhere. So who are the powers? Are they Garda HQ looking to curry favour with the Taoiseach? And why would they? What powers can send the Gardaí out? I am guessing it would come from the Department of Justice and Dermot Ahern?
This story askes more questions then we will ever get to know the answer too. RTE claim that they were going to issue an apology before they got the call from the Taoiseach and unless someone puts an FOI into RTE we will never be sure if that is true. It might be true the report was quiet sneering at the Taoiseach and in somewhat bad taste but that is no longer the story anymore either is the images. The reaction is. It is an international story that makes the Taoiseach look at best lacking a sense of humour and at worse lacking a basic belief in the freedom of the press and politically naive. The press secretary of the Taoiseachs office has failed miserable on this issue.
And possibly worst of all he has made Ray D’Arcy Cool.
I object most strongly to the public display of these portraits.
They are far too flattering.
we are not, the gov is.
Hey – don’t get too serious about. There is an ‘Irish’ cool to this story – major national economic crisis and what a way to protest – we’ve had marches, tractor blockades, sheep in the Dept of Agriculture, but this guy gets out his canvass and oil paints, does up a couple of nude portraits of the Taoiseach (Dutch Master style), sticks them in a rucksack and heads down to the National Gallery and puts them up like a scene from the Thomas Crown Affair (probably the security was less challenging and he didn’t have to wear the bowler hat – ipod with Nina Simone’s Sinnerman on would have been a nice touch).
The funniest thought is the first few tourists who went by without complaining … (Vermeer, Rembrandt … hey what’s this one …).
Ok – somebody in Government HQ was pretty stressed to send in the Gardai and complain to RTE … but it gives the story international legs and could start a new form of global protest for those who fancy a bit more than a placard and a loudhailer…
I think the commentary on this is a bit one-sided. There are two issues here – the apology and the garda involvement. I saw the original report. Now, everyone knows well I am a robust critic of FF but when I saw it live I thought it was over the top. There was a funny story to report in the original hoax but the reporter had photocopies and invited comment from confused members of the public and the art expert. It was over the top and I can completely understand Ed Mulhall’s reaction when he sat at home watching it too. So I think O’Neachtain was entitled to complain about it (though as Simon says he probably shouldn’t have as it extended the story).
However, the other issue is the garda involvement and that IS sinister especially as the artist has had other paintings confiscated. That is outrageous and we should find out if Ahern or anyone else made a call.
I understand the Gardai are to mount checkpoints at secondary schools over the coming weeks in order to inspect copybooks as it is rumoured that unflattering drawings of government ministers adorn the covers of school books.
lol
sarah your a slavish follower of authority above all else.