By Dan Walsh
David Minogue, Communications Officer, at Wexford County Council, issued the following statement this evening. It is published here on WexfordLocal.com without alteration or comment:
“It is unfortunate and regrettable how an email intended to create opportunity for an improved working relationship and to avoid future discord can be misinterpreted so as to have the directly opposite effect. It would appear this is exactly what has happened in relation to my email of 25th March 2022 to South East Radio.
“As Wexford County Council Communications Officer, I recognise the significant importance of the relationship between our local radio station and the Council. It is my responsibility to protect and develop that relationship. The suggested criteria that I outlined in my email of 25th March for consideration by and for further discussion with South East Radio were an effort on my part to identify a number of areas that had led to previous difficulties between the Council and the radio station.
“I believed that in identifying these areas, and by suggesting what I considered were reasonable steps to deal with these areas in the future, I was not only future-proofing the working relationship between Wexford County Council and South East Radio but also offering opportunity to enhance it.
“My email and its contents were designed to improve the working relationship between Wexford County Council and South East Radio, not to damage it further as I appear inadvertently to have done.
“Wexford County Council fully respects the role of the media and the absolute right of the media to be able to act independently and without undue influence from any source. My email was never intended to suggest otherwise nor should it in any way be interpreted as seeking to do so.
“I intend to make contact with Mr. Eamon Buttle, General Manager, South East Radio, to clarify the matters outlined on my email of 25th and to reaffirm my genuine intentions behind that email as described above. In doing so I hope to establish a sound basis for a renewed professional working relationship between the Council and South East Radio, a relationship that I know both organisations wish to see in place. I am confident that an amicable and mutually acceptable outcome can be achieved to this on-going engagement process.
“I wish to apologise to the Elected Members and to my colleagues at Wexford County Council for the manner in which my well-intentioned efforts to rebuild a strong working relationship between the Council and South East Radio have given rise to public controversy – David Minogue.
WexfordLocal.com 