RTÉ coverage of Pope Francis's funeral and election of Pope Leo cost €150k
RTÉ's coverage of the death of Pope Francis and the subsequent election of Pope Leo cost the broadcaster €150,000.
Figures released under Freedom of Information show that the broadcaster's extensive coverage of the death of the pontiff included €4,200 in venue hire and over €1,200 in subsistence costs for management grade staff from Radio 1, with the overall costs of travel, hotels, and subsistence coming in at around €150,000 in total.
RTÉ provided hours of coverage across its platforms upon the death of Pope Francis in April, including his funeral and the election of American cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the 267th leader of the Catholic Church and the successor to Francis as Pope Leo.
The station's output included a special broadcast of its flagship Prime Time programme with records showing that staff airfares and hotels for that show cost around €3,600. While the cost of flights was one of the larger outlays, some airfares came in at as little as €13.
The world's media and thousands of pilgrims descended on the Vatican City upon the death of Pope Francis, with mourners standing in line for hours to pay their final respects while his body lay in state in St Peter's Basilica ahead of his funeral.
That was followed by coverage ahead of the papal conclave which lasted just over a day and a half and resulted in the election of the first American pope.
In response to the FOI request, RTÉ said: "In relation to hotels, it is not possible to extract a precise spend on this alone so we have included 'staff subsistence' which would cover this and other costs.
"Similar to civil and public servants, RTÉ personnel were paid to a set 'day rate' which would cover the cost of accommodation as well as food etc.
"[T]he costs incurred were necessary to allow RTÉ fulfil its obligations to provide comprehensive coverage of two major global events across radio, television and online in both Irish and English.
"Those who travelled provided many hours of coverage for all radio and television news and current affairs programming as well as online content spanning the days between the death of Pope Francis to the election of Pope Leo."
Read More
Pope Leo XIV calls for aid to reach Gaza in first general audience
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Journal
an hour ago
- The Journal
How does Ireland's prison overcrowding crisis compare to other European countries?
EUROPE'S PRISON POPULATION is increasing, with many countries around the continent, including Ireland, experience dangerous levels of overcrowding. According to analysis of the latest data from Eurostat, Europe's central statistics database, there was a 3.2% increase in the continent's prison population in 2023. That year, 13 countries in Europe were experiencing overcrowding. Very high levels of incarcerations were also recorded between 1993 and 2023. In Ireland, where prison capacity on Friday was recorded at a level of 117% , the issue with overcrowding has been deemed a crisis by legal experts, staff unions and senior sources within the Irish penal system. An increase in the number of judges , changes to legislation and sentencing guidelines, as well as underinvestment into the prison estate in the country have been contributing factors to the crisis. The Eurostat data shows, however, that this trend has been occurring across EU member states over a 30-year period. At its peak in 2012, prisons in Europe were accommodating 533,000 people. Government has initiated an expansion plan for the construction of 1,500 new places – but industry associations like the Irish Prison Officers Association believe that 'building out' of the problem is not the solution. Speaking at an event in May, President of the association Tony Power said that investments must be made into the existing system to provide more spaces. Staff should not be 'expected' to work in overcrowded conditions, he added. Mattresses on the floor in Europe Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan has pledged to find ways to accelerate the delivery of more prison spaces . Advertisement A senior source at the service previously told The Journal that building more spaces, given the timescale involved in capital projects, is not seen as an option. This has led to an increase in the number of people sleeping on the floor in Irish facilities , something the Irish Penal Reform Trust deeply condemns. These figures are so high that the service started recording them in official daily statistics this year. On Friday, 404 people were sleeping on mattresses the ground in Irish prisons. French prison population levels reached record highs in March as a total of 82,152 people – roughly the same size of a full house at Croke Park – were in custody in French prisons that month. The official capacity is 62,539. More than 4,500 people were sleeping on the floor at French facilities – 15 of which are at 200% capacity. Deportations and releases France's Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin has called for the deportation of foreign prisoners so that they can serve their sentences in their home nations. In Ireland, however, the Irish Penal Reform Trust has called for imprisonment to be regarded as a 'last resort' and for alternative measures , such as community service or supervised temporary release, to be encouraged. The Irish Prison Service has increased the population of prisoners on temporary release , which sees the supervised release of low-level, non-violent offenders serving sentences outside of prison under strict conditions. The State has been criticised for allowing the temporary release scheme as a pressure valve to overcrowding, but sources in the prison management say the programme is the only way it can maintain safe population levels at facilities in the country. In Austria, experts say prison sentences are still too common and, often, people are committed for minor offences. Facilities in the country are at 108% capacity, as of May. Access to rehabilitative care In Spain, the country has adopted a more rehabilitative approach. It allows prisoners a gradual transition to more open regimes, based on their behaviour and risk of re-offending. Similar programmes are available in Ireland . Data from Spain shows that 80% of people released from prison do not return to crime. Related Reads Court escorts for prisoners at risk due to overcrowding, Irish prisons boss warns Fears within prison service that prison overcrowding increasing risk of violence and rioting New ankle monitors could be an alternative to being held on remand, Irish prisons boss says Overcrowding is reducing the population's access to services in Ireland . Sources have said that offenders placed on supervised release or short sentences are, sometimes, not provided with any rehabilitative care. The head of the Irish Prison Service told reporters last month that up to 2,000 prisoners are currently on waiting lists to access psychology support services. Director General Caron McCaffrey said there are also smaller waiting lists for other services, such as addiction therapy, education and training programmes. She said a 'whole of government approach' is needed to boost services such as education, training and therapy in prisons. Responding to questions by The Journal in May, she admitted that people are sometimes released before receiving care. High levels of overcrowding at prisons in Austria is leading to similar issues to what is seen in Ireland, where prisoners outnumber support staff. The European Court of Auditors recently criticised Vienna's lack of investment. Changes are being led from prison management, however, to boost rehabilitation resources in Irish prisons. Existing staff are being upskilled and trained on methods to provide and assist in the care of prisoners with mental health issues. Additionally, a peer-led, pilot programme has been launched in Dublin's Mountjoy Prison which trains and educates prisoners on providing addiction care to others. — This article is part of PULSE, a European collaborative journalism project. With reporting by Maria Delaney (The Journal Investigates, Ireland), Davide Madeddu (Il Sole 24 Ore, Italy), Kim Son Hoang (Der Standard, Austria) and Ana Somavilla (El Confidencial, Spain) as well as translation services by Ciarán Lawless (Voxeurop). Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Journal
an hour ago
- The Journal
Tánaiste says efforts are being made to evacuate 15 Irish citizens from Israel
EFFORTS ARE UNDERWAY to evacuate 15 Irish citizens from Israel as the conflict between the country and its neighbour and longtime foe Iran has soured further. Last night, it was announced by US President Donald Trump that t he US had bombed three nuclear enrichment sites in Iran after Israel had earlier launched attacks on Iran over a week ago. There has been discussion in recent days regarding the potential evacuation of Irish passport holders who are residing in either country. Today, Harris said that his Foreign Affairs Department is also working with a smaller number of citizens in Iran who had requested an evacuation. Around 29 Irish citizens in Iran had registered with the Irish embassy and around 200 in Israel. The government remains in contact with embassies in Israel and Iran. Staff in Tehran left the country on Friday and have since been working remotely. Speaking to RTÉ Radio One this afternoon, Harris confirmed that a civil protection operation with EU member states is taking place in order to extract European citizens from the region. He said while it is an ongoing operation, with further and more significant updates pending, only a small number of Irish citizens are seeking assistance from the joint mission currently. Advertisement Harris said he spoke to Iran's deputy foreign minister today, at their request, who was 'full of anger'. 'He did say to me that it was the view of Iran that the aggressors would have to learn lessons and pay a price,' he told reporters at Government Buildings. 'Of course I articulated in the strongest possible terms that Ireland and the European Union doesn't want to see that, we want to see people step back from the brink and engage in dialogue.' Harris said the US strikes on Iran had made a 'volatile situation even more dangerous' and added an 'extra layer of complexity' to what was already a 'tinderbox'. When asked whether he supported Trump's strikes on Iran, Harris said: 'I think it's resulted in an extraordinarily dangerous escalation of a conflict that already best be described as a tinderbox. 'We're now entering a moment of particular danger, because I think the chances now of a spiral of escalation are more likely than ever before, and there is a real prospect now of the international community losing all control of this very, very volatile conflict.' He said there was only a 'very small' number of Irish citizens, many dual nationals, seeking an evacuation, and they were working with European counterparts. A significant update on this would be available in the hours ahead, he said. With reporting by Press Association Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Group of 15 Irish citizens evacuated from Israel
A group of 15 Irish citizens were successfully assisted in departing Israel on Sunday. They are expected to arrive in Ireland in the coming days after an EU partner organised their departure. The Department of Foreign Affairs asks Irish citizens in Iran and Israel to remain vigilant, to monitor developments and media, and to follow advice from the authorities, including when this is to shelter in place. Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Harris said: "Our Embassies will remain in close contact with all citizens in Israel and Iran over the days and weeks ahead. Our wider political work on the developing situation also continues." The Tánaiste said he spoke to Iran's deputy foreign minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi on Sunday. He continued: "During the call, I expressed grave concern at the developments overnight, strongly urged restraint and shared the view that it was not in the interests of the Iranian people or the Middle East as a region for hostilities to escalate. "I stressed the importance of Iran engaging in formal processes to de-escalate and said there is eagerness on the part of the EU and the E3 countries to be helpful in relation to these processes and to remain engaged in dialogue at this key time. "Ireland's perspective on this matter comes from our long track record of support for nuclear disarmament, our recent role on the UN Security Council dealing with the Iran file and the strong belief that concerns about Iran's nuclear programme should be addressed through dialogue." The Tánaiste is due to meet his EU counterparts in Brussels on Monday to discuss the evolving situation. He added: "Our work to encourage dialogue, diplomacy and deescalation will continue."
