Statement Regarding Up Front with Katie Hannon

I am today informing the producers of Up Front with Katie Hannon that I am withdrawing my interest to participate in any panel for their upcoming charade debate.  That shall remain my decision even if they do a late u-turn in the face of the outpouring of anger about my exclusion here in Limerick and beyond.

I want to thank all of the many of you who have rallied to support me and express your outrage since this became official RTE policy.  I now believe for the reasons set out below that it is best to put this matter to bed and let me back to concentrating on what I enjoy most, meeting the people of Limerick to explain why I believe my experience makes me the best candidate for the role and explain what I want to do for them if elected on 7 June.  I wanted though to let you know my decision first and directly.

I have made numerous reasonable requests since their original selection decision and each has been rejected as will be seen most recently in the attached email from Paul Maguire, Managing Editor of RTE.  Limerick has become used to being ignored up in Dublin. If nothing else, this sorry saga shows better than anything why having a strong independent mayor who can put Limerick first is so critical.

It is ironic that the only successful time the producers of the show seem to have listened to me was when their researcher contacted me over a month ago to get my views on the mayoral role and ask would I be okay travel to Dublin for the show.  I made it clear at that time that it would be highly insulting to the people of Limerick if candidates and audience of Limerick voters for the first mayoral election in Limerick had to travel to Dublin for a debate.  At least I won that debate!

I shall now instead sit in the audience and make my views during the only 60 seconds of uninterrupted time which they have offered me.

Helen (O’Donnell) has already indicated on social media that she was content to just rely on that time too so in that light I consider the matter closed.

I want to also express my particular appreciation to the other candidates who expressed their own dissatisfaction about RTE’s decision.  

I believe the outpouring of anger from Limerick about the exclusion of new independent candidates, including the two leading ones has shown that the voters of Limerick already know that they want real change.  The support I have received in particular comforts me that even without this debate they also have identified the type of experience and credentials they want to see in their mayor.  They understand better than RTE who is needed to deliver on that change for Limerick against a Dublin dominated party system which has failed us for decades here on Shannonside.

I have already been invited to participate in more inclusionary further debates on Live 95 and on The Late Debate on RTE radio.  I look forward to those even more now.

There are other fine candidates in this race but I just firmly believe even before comparing our experience and skills that the role is unsuited to someone tied to party ideology.   

Let this debate now at least identify who is the best candidate which the political parties can offer in advance of those later debates.

And that way on the 7 June the voters of Limerick can make their own choice right here free of Dublin interference.

                                                                                                John Moran, Limerick, 23 May, 2024