“We accept the findings of the Editorial Standards Board that this [New Year’s Day] sketch was not compliant with our own guidelines or with our obligations under the relevant codes. On behalf of RTÉ, I fully apologise for that. We will now review the processes involved and engage constructively with the BAI.“
Dee Forbes, the Director General of RTÉ, Thursday 7th, 2021

The sketch – which suggested that Ireland might be preferred by notorious abusers of young women as a place to be tried for this offence – due, it seemed, to Catholic beliefs surrounding the nativity of Jesus of Nazareth as the Son of God – has been removed from the RTE player.

The RTE board for editorial standards found that the sketch was in breach of:

The provisions of Section 39 (1) (d) of the Broadcasting Act 2009 and the BAI Code of Programme Standards in relation to material that causes “undue offence”;
The provision of Principle 5 in the above Code (Respect for Persons and Groups in Society) regarding “due respect” for religious beliefs.

To read the full RTE statement, click here.