NUJ condemns charges at Mayo count centre

The Secretary of the National Union of Journalists, Séamus Dooley, has hit out at journalists being charged for access to the Mayo count centre at the Royal Theatre in Castlebar during the recent General Election count.  Each media organisation working at the count was charged €75 per day for access to the press area at the theatre, part of the Travellers’ Friend Hotel. The press area was on the first floor balcony, overlooking the main hall.
There had been a much higher levy initially imposed on local newspapers for alternations to the balcony but when three local papers refused to pay this, a fee of €75 was charged for security, with no alternations to the seating in the balcony area.
The charge was imposed by the management of the Theatre, and not by the Returning Officer for Mayo, Fintan Murphy.
“Such a charge is unacceptable and punitive, especially for freelance journalists and small media organisations. It is a levy on journalists carrying out their job in the public interest,” Mr Dooley told The Sunday Business Post.
He argued that the media perform an important public service during elections and this ought to be facilitated as a rule, Mr Dooley said.