Mary Lou McDonald slams ‘extremely rude’ RTÉ host in on air row

The President of Sinn Féin took to X after the interview to share her dissatisfaction.

The Dublin TD took umbrage with the broadcaster's implication that her party's policy on reforming the international protection system was similar to the government's approach.

One of the new proposals is to triple staff numbers at the International Protection Office from 400 to 1,000.

Boucher-Hayes questioned the cost of such a pledge, to which McDonald replied: "There is a costing for it, I don’t have it to hand, it is not enormous."

When the presenter asked how "a thousand new civil servants is not an enormous cost", McDonald replied: "Are you actually interested in hearing the policy or simply nit-picking with me?"

She added: "I have to say your tone with me in this interview is extremely rude but be that as it may, the government may claim that this is their approach. It is something that they have failed to do.

"I’m less interested — and I would have thought that as a journalist and a broadcaster, you would be far more inquisitive — around what the government is saying which you’re very happy to repeat ad nauseam, but actually what the government is doing, or in this case has failed to do."

Ms McDonald was then asked about the emphasis of deportation orders, to which she noted she was ‘not the minister’ and ‘lead[s] the opposition.’

As the interview came to a close, she added: "I will listen with interest, Philip, and to your colleagues when you have others setting out policy proposals, a similar demand for exact costings, line by line."

I look forward to @rtenews 'robust' interviewing of government ministers and representatives.

— Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) July 24, 2024

Last week, Ms McDonald reported a "blatant and blunt" threat to her life to gardaí after an individual told her that he would 'shoot her dead' on social media.

Speaking to RTE News, she said: "It is utterly unacceptable, and it is sinister, and I have reported the matter to An Garda Síochána and I expect them to deal with it appropriately.

"There has been a trend for the last year or more, a very organised section of people online, to have a run at Sinn Féin and at me in particular," she added.

"I think the objective of the exercise has been to cast doubt or to alienate or disrupt the relationship between myself and Sinn Féin and those that would support us, rely on us to represent them and represent them well. 

"It’s been pretty relentless. If you visit any of my social media platforms you would see that. But last night that escalated to a threat to take my life and I’m shocked by it, to be honest.

"The same individual made a threat against a senior member of An Garda Síochána and may I say that is completely unacceptable and I expect that matter will be dealt with as well."