What a week!
Huh?
First off… what’s a redacted statement? Is that where someone issues a statement but blurs some of the words out?
Exactly!
Usually politicians?
Or public servants… the Yes Minister-types!
They’ll hold back key names and dates and such information?
Yes, allegedly on confidentiality/legal grounds!
So it’s Blankety Blank for the political establishment?
Exactly!
(They pause to try to predict the outcome of all remaining games in Division One of the NFL, an exercise that creates unnecessary tension between them)
Well…
Well what?
This practice, or dare I say tactic, of issuing redacted statements… I see it has been taken to a whole new level by the FAI!
Over Mr Hill’s hols?
Yes!
You’re referring to the email thread the FAI presented to politicians the other day?
Yes! Mr Hill is the CEO of the FAI, isn’t he?
Yes!
And there’s controversy over him being paid a sum of money in lieu of taking holidays…
Correct! The strange tale of Mr Hill’s hols!
Could be a name for a new RTE sitcom…
Don’t go there!
Did you read, or should I say see, that mega-redacted email?
The one that had EVERY SINGLE WORD blocked out?
Yes! Incredible! The email shown to the politicians literally had every single word redacted! The arrogance of these people!
(They pause to recall some of their favourite FAI administration cock-ups over the decades)
Then you have the RTE farce…
Oh, please…
The minister was annoyed with the chair of the RTE board…
So she went on Prime Time to tell the whole country!
There are no winners in this saga…
Oh, I dunno…
Huh?
It was a nice win for Miriam O’Callaghan! I think she was letting Sarah McInerney know that Miriam still has the old magic!
(They pause to continue drafting top secret plans to launch a new political party)
So I fired off an email to the Editor…
You did what?
Well, if Mr Hill can cash in his holidays with the FAI…
You didn’t?
Look, you and I have never had a week off here! It’s time we demanded some respect from that guy!
So?
So, I asked the Editor straight out: Would he book us a luxury holiday, OR… pay us a substantial sum of money in lieu of said proposed holiday?!
WOW!
Actually… he’s just replied to my email!
Read it out!
Eh, he’s redacted every word…
EVERY word?
Yeah… oh, hold on, there’s ONE word left in at the very end… ‘OFF!’
