Dave Fanning has apologised after coming under fire for a controversial Tweet in relation to the ongoing RTÉ hearings.
Oireachtas hearings into the financial misdeeds of RTÉ have been held across the last week, and continue on Thursday, with the likes of Ryan Tubridy facing the Committee of Public Accounts in recent days.
The hearings are taking place to explore the financial running of RTÉ, after it became public that Tubridy had been paid €345,000 more than publicly stated over a five-year period. In the weeks since, more misgivings have come to light which have implicated more of RTÉ's on- and off-screen talent.
Fanning, a radio host for the broadcaster, shared a tweet this week in which he likened the trials to those of Nazi war criminals in the 1940s, and called them "nonsensical."
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Dave Fanning apologises for comparing RTÉ hearings with Nuremberg Trials
In a since-deleted tweet, Dave Fanning likened the RTÉ hearings in the Oireachtas to the infamous Nuremberg Trials.
The Nuremberg Trials saw some of the most important leaders and military figures of Nazi Germany tried for crimes against humanity by the victorious Allied Forces at the conclusion of World War II.
As an admirer and fan of @davefanning this tweet saddened me. I think it was unfair to his agent Noel Kelly to describe the session as nonsensical. pic.twitter.com/ZdiBGmHQLL
— Séamus Dooley (@Seamusdo) July 12, 2023
The poorly judged remarks drew a disappointed response from many of the Irish public, and the remarks were mentioned during the Oireachtas hearings by TD Alan Kelly.
An RTÉ presenter represented by Noel Kelly, Dave Fanning referred to the Public Accounts Committee as a 'nonsensical Oireachtas Nuremberg trial'
How is that appropriate asks Alan Kelly #RteGate #RteSecretPayments #Pac pic.twitter.com/BD1CDfeFyd— Mick Caul (@caulmick) July 13, 2023
Kelly said of the remarks:
How is that appropriate? A person being paid by the taxpayer - granted, through an agent and RTÉ - saying that what the Public Accounts Committee are doing here..."let's take our minds off a nonsensical Oireachtas Nuremberg Trial."
I thought it was very insulting.
Kevin Bakhurst also slammed the comments, saying that the comments were not appropriate "as a view for an RTÉ employee or contractor, because the work of the committee has been incredibly important."
It appeared to be the use of the word "nonsensical" which had frustrated the Committee, as well as the likening of the trials to those of Nuremberg.
In response to the backlash, Fanning has since apologised for his remarks, and deleted the initial Tweet. On Thursday, Fanning said:
I want to apologise unreservedly to the Oireachtas Committee for my ill judged comment regarding this weeks hearings. There was no intention to trivialise the proceedings.
I want to apologise unreservedly to the Oireachtas Committee for my ill judged comment regarding this weeks hearings. There was no intention to trivialise the proceedings.
— Dave Fanning (@davefanning) July 13, 2023
This is the second time in just under a month that Fanning has had to publicly apologise for ill-judged remarks.
He previously apologised after making crass remarks about the career of the late Christy Dignam, after the Aslan frontman passed away in June.
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