A Cork radio presenter’s highly inflammatory comments on immigrants has prompted Labour TD and former Metro Éireann columnist Aodhán Ó Ríordáin to remark on Twitter that he had seen more informed arguments “scribbled on toilet walls”.
Ó Ríordáin was reacting to comments made by Cork 96 FM’s Neil Prendeville during his show on 14 May last.
Prendeville, in what was styled as a broadside on the nature of Irish society that sounded pre-scripted, began by saying that this was a country governed by men and women “motivated by greed and cronyism”.
Soon into his speech, Prendeville made his comments on immigrants. “We provide medical cards to Africans while Irish children go sick because their working parents can’t afford a doctor’s visit or a prescription,” he said. “We provide social welfare to former Russians and children’s allowance to kids living in eastern Europe.”
Prendeville also criticised “a grossly overstaffed public sector” and referred to “500,000 under 25-year-olds who had to beg, borrow or steal the price of a flight and digs in Australia or England or Canada or America because Ireland couldn’t deliver…”
A mixed range of comments were posted on the station’s Facebook page following the remarks by Prendeville.
An administrator of the Love Music Hate Racism (Ireland) Facebook page wrote: “It’s people like you Neil Prendeville, that cause racism in this country. It’s people like you who divide, rather than unite, with your careless words. It’s a real shame too.”
But some messages were supportive. “Fair play to neil for a great statement well done bring eire back to the irish,” said one.
Prendeville’s show on Cork 96 FM, which airs between 9am and midday on weekdays, has some 114,000 adult listeners. The station has not issued any comment on Prendeville’s controversial remarks.
