The Press Ombudsman is to carry out a review of RTÉ’s editorial procedures after the Fr Reynolds' case.
The state broadcaster aired a programme that it since admitted made claims about Fr Reynolds that were “baseless, without any foundation whatever and untrue.”
The independent review of editorial processes at RTÉ Television is separate from Prof Horgan’s position as Press Ombudsman, whose remit does not extend to RTÉ.
Prof Horgan is also emeritus Professor of Journalism at the School of Communications at Dublin City University, and the author of a number of books on broadcasting and media in Ireland.
According to the Irish Times, Prof Horgan (pictured), Press Ombudsman, has informed the members of the Ombudsman Commission, that RTÉ director general Noel Curran approached him with a view to carrying out a review.
If the Commission agrees, Prof Horgan will conduct a review and present his recommendations to the RTÉ board to publish. It is not expected that any disciplinary recommendations will be made.
Fr Reynolds is taking a High Court libel action against RTÉ, which is expected to start this week. In a statement about the case, the Association of Catholics Priests said, “The purpose of this hearing is to decide the extent of compensation due to Kevin as a result of the libel perpetrated against him by Prime Time. Going to the High Court would be an ordeal for most priests, so our thoughts and prayers will be with Kevin during the next few days. It is ironic to note that while RTÉ commentators have often excoriated Church authorities for lack of generosity, and playing hard ball, with alleged victims, they themselves seem to be intent on fighting this to the last!”
The Prime Time Investigates programme in May accused Fr Reynolds, a Mill Hill missionary, of having sex with a minor while working as a priest in Kenya and fathering a child by her.
He immediately denied the allegation and offered to take a paternity test but RTÉ aired the programme before any test could be done.
The test proved he was not the father of the child but by that time Fr Reynolds, parish priest of Ahascragh, Co Galway, had been forced to step down, and leave his parish and his home.
RTÉ has since acknowledged that the material in the programme concerning Fr. Reynolds should never have been broadcast and stated, “RTÉ now fully and unreservedly accepts that the allegations made by Prime Time against Fr. Kevin Reynolds are baseless, without any foundation whatever and untrue, and that Fr. Reynolds is a priest of the utmost integrity who has had an unblemished 40 year career in the priesthood and who has made a valuable contribution to society in Kenya and Ireland both in education and in ministry.”
“RTÉ acknowledges the defamation has had a devastating effect on Fr. Kevin Reynolds, his family, his peers, his parishioners in Ahascragh, those in the diocese of Kakamega in Kenya who were aware of the allegations and all those who know him or of him. RTÉ fully and unreservedly apologises to Fr. Kevin Reynolds for this defamation and deeply regrets the serious consequences suffered by him. He was entirely innocent of the allegations broadcast about him.”