The solicitor representing Fr Kevin Reynolds has said the fine of €200,000 imposed on RTÉ over its defamatory Prime Time Investigates programme reflects the seriousness with which the authorities viewed the breach made by the station.
Reacting to the BAI report released yesterday, which severely criticised RTÉ, Robert Dore said it is clear from the report that the production team involved in the programme failed to get mandatory consents from a higher management level on a number of issues.
The BAI investigation found that 'Mission to Prey' broadcast serious, damaging and untrue allegations about Fr Reynolds, wrongly accusing him of raping a minor and fathering a child while working in Kenya 30 years ago.
Speaking on RTÉ's Marian Finucane programme, Mr Dore said Fr Reynolds is fully focused on his communion mass in Ahascragh, Co Galway today.
He said Fr Reynolds wants to get on with his life as a parish priest and as far as is he is concerned the matter has been over since the settlement of the High Court case.
Mr Dore said Fr Reynolds had no desire for revenge on the issue.
He said he would await with interest the outcome of the meeting between the RTÉ board and Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte on Tuesday.
RTÉ's head of Corporate Communications Kevin Dawson said the board would fully engage with the minister at the meeting to address his concerns.
Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore today said the fallout has "very seriously damaged confidence in RTÉ and RTÉ must work to rebuild that confidence".
Speaking as he canvassed for a Yes vote in the forthcoming referendum, Mr Gilmore said there were issues which "everybody needed to reflect on"; adding that stories that do not have any basis should not appear in the print or broadcast media.
