Varadkar, Martin & Ryan walking off a stage together to avoid a journalist. Is this acceptable?

Pete Moss

Ben Scallan has been asking our Government these types of questions for months now. In any videos of his interactions I've seen, he's been knowledgeable on his topic, polite and concise.

Each time he asks a Minister one of these hardball questions, many of them have floundered, refused to answer the question asked or rolled their eyes in an attempt to devalue his questions.

It continuously shows up how ill prepared these officials are for press-conferences. For decades they have faced fluff-piece questions and responded with prearranged answers. I certainly don't agree or see the value in all the questions Ben Scallan has asked, some do seem to be set-up for "Gotcha" moments. However, now the Government have to face one or two questions per press-conference which they are not prepared for and they have opted to ignore the questions as a strategic tactic.

To me, for the roles those three men hold, it's poor leadership and from an optics perspective makes them look like they're running away from tough questions. Poor communications management from their side.

xxyyzz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121801270#Comment_121801270

Wasting your time, they believe what they are fed and no amount of facts will change that.

Annasopra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121800602#Comment_121800602

Not sure why you keep going on about not naming. The article had enough information to identify. It had to be pulled.

Annasopra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121800676#Comment_121800676

It's common at press conferences for people to walk out when it's finished. Ben isn't special.

Peter Flynt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121801341#Comment_121801341

The press conference wasn't declared over though. Weirdo Varadkar just heard Ben Scallan's voice and looked at this press officer and walked out. The other two gobshites followed suit.

Boggles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121801329#Comment_121801329

They didn't ignore him.

What people have seemed to have done is believe the caption of the tweet and not watched the video, or watched the video and chose to believe the claim anyway.

There is absolute no excuse for that.

buried

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121800500#Comment_121800500

Do you think they would have read out a false and misleading tweet from an obscure unknown account directed at Higgins? Im sure there was plenty of those tweets too. Why was it directed at Gallagher, who was leading the polls at that particular time?

RoyalCelt

Whether you like Gript or not they are asking the questions the mainstream media are not. Government funded bodies are funded by us and should be asking the hard questions the public need answered not what the government want them to ask.

There's a lot of similarities between the Russian government and it's mainstream media in comparison to ours. The only difference Gript would be locked up in Russia but don't fear these new hate speech laws will ensure that.

Boggles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121801449#Comment_121801449

There's a lot of similarities between the Russian government and it's mainstream media in comparison to ours.

lol

Strazdas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121801403#Comment_121801403

It still smacked of total incompetence though rather than an attempt to derail Gallagher's campaign. The tweet shouldn't have been aired but Gallagher became all flustered - a poor RTE editorial decision unravelled into something more serious. If Gallagher had just batted away the question and said 'I have no idea what that tweet is referring to', he probably would have been President.

RoyalCelt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121801479#Comment_121801479

https://twitter.com/RonanMullen/status/1760281049232200090?t=tz2ni0Idsl11_BuKjosiPg&s=19

Senator Mullen discussing this and compares it to the Chinese approach we took recently. Turns out there's precedent with this Communist dictatorship they're trying so hard to be.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121801144#Comment_121801144

Just them in a suit.

His questions are more performative than probing.

TokTik

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121801218#Comment_121801218

Same with O’Gorman with his lying tweets being Community Noted on X/Twitter. You can be sure if it was a candidate from an opposition party it would be brought up to discredit them.

Can’t rock the boat that’s given you a 0% VAT rate on your publications though.

RoyalCelt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121801606#Comment_121801606

It was a blow for the government when Twitter was bought out. They lost their contacts within who would ban dissenting voices on twitter but promote their own message.

TokTik

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121801616#Comment_121801616

Correct, I remember a former Lord Mayoress of Dublin whinging when she lost her inside contact at Twitter.

Boggles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121801526#Comment_121801526

It doesn't surprise me Mullen can't see past the caption on the tweet either.

Another one who clearly didn't watch the video or ignored it for their own silly gain.

Pete Moss

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121801383#Comment_121801383

Unless you have watched a different video, or have access to longer version of the video currently circulating, then I've no idea what youre talking about. If you've another copy of the press conference, please share.

He's asking a question, it's evident they hear the question - at least LV and MM act (poorly) like they can't hear him, but ER completely acknowledges Ben Scallan is speaking and still chooses to walk off. It's weak.

The press conference was concluding, but in his role at the event, he was not afforded the opportunity to ask a question. Therefore, he was ignored. Not just by the three men on the stage, but by the Communications Unit for Government who would have had oversight as to which members of the press had questions to ask.

RoyalCelt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121801728#Comment_121801728

Are you referencing how gript apparently didn't submit a question? That's been debunked.

Boggles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121801748#Comment_121801748

No. I have watched the video he posted.

He is talking into his own microphone which is dubbed over the video, the target audience then believe his question was loud and clear, it wasn't.

There were multiple people asking questions after the press conference had ended. The only question that garnered attention was from the front row and from Ryan who stopped briefly.

None of them looked in the direction or acknowledged the content creator.

In fact the bull shít artist only partially asked his question and yielded to the guy in the front row and then stop asking his question.

It isn't very hard to understand, you have been duped son.

That's on you, no excuse for it.

Boggles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121801774#Comment_121801774

I'm referencing the video you posted of Mullen who is acting confused on purpose.

The press conference was over.

The content creator didn't ask a question. He asked a partial question which nobody heard.

He wasn't ignored, he is lying so he can sell more mugs to the permanently outraged.

Again this isn't very hard understand, he posted the literal video of it which completely debunks his claim.

Peter Flynt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121801616#Comment_121801616

Indeed. Also didn't help that the new owner hates the present Irish government. A double whammy.

No surprise then that Varadkar recently referred to Twitter as a sewer. He wasn't doing that for the years when they were ringing up Twitter HQ to get messages removed.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121801481#Comment_121801481

We certainly dodged a major bullet there.

RoyalCelt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121801865#Comment_121801865

He submitted his question on time. Press officer ignored him and refused to call. When the conference was ending he tried to get the question in and Leo walked away. This isn't democracy.

Boggles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121802275#Comment_121802275

When the conference was ending he tried to get the question in and Leo walked away.

The Press Conference was over, it's in the video he posted.

He never asked a question, he asked a bit of a question no one heard before yielding to someone else asking a question.

What exactly is confusing you?

Are you just going to keep doubling down with your alternative reality?

That's not a great look is it?

RoyalCelt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121802311#Comment_121802311

He asked the question at the end because he wasn't asked to question them during it. Ignored by the press officer. Sorry this doesn't suit your agenda.

Strazdas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121802275#Comment_121802275

Scallan does have form for asking loaded questions aimed at picking up likes from his disciples on social media, rather than asking an actual question aiming at garnering information. it's hardly a surprise if politicians are not interested in playing along with this pantomime.

The purpose of the Gript crowd going along to these press conferences seems to be to try and discredit those giving the conference, not to find anything out....more along the lines of point scoring.

Boggles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121802538#Comment_121802538

He didn't ask a question at the end, he ask a bit of question when it was over and yielded to someone else asking a question. Again I can't see that is confusing you, considering he posted a literal video of it.

According to his boss afterward he was "ignored", who clearly watched the video and because he isn't completely dangerously stupid knew that the video did not back up the claim.

Have you never seen a press conference? a lot of actual journalists don't get to ask their questions either, they don't cry and lie on Twitter afterwards to sell Mugs and Calendars.

The only agenda is the one you have fallen for.

Absolutely no excuse for that.

eightieschewbaccy

The real scandal here is that our government clearly lacks super hearing powers. One step closer to be Russia. 🤣

RoyalCelt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121802689#Comment_121802689

He wasn't called to ask the question earlier. The fact you can't comprehend this leads me to believe you're a government funded AI.

Boggles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121802877#Comment_121802877

Straight into full blown conspiracy theory.

You are their target audience.

Have a good one. 👍️