Finding out who our real leaders are

RADIO REVIEW:EVEN AT THE best of times the money made by RTÉ's top stars has been a touchy subject. So as the country braced itself for a scorched-earth Budget it seemed inappropriate when Marian Finucane(RTÉ Radio 1, Saturday and Sunday) started to talk about the large-denomination bills she carries around with her.

The panel on last Sunday’s show had been discussing the country’s fiscal mess – what else? – when the economist Donal Donovan noted that Ireland’s freedom to walk away from the IMF was hobbled by its inability to devalue its currency. At this point Finucane began to talk about the contents of her purse.

This was not an outbreak of salary-related candour, however. The presenter had on her person a 500-million-Zimbabwean-dollar note, given to her by a woman who said such an amount would not buy a slice of bread. Finucane used this personal detail to make a wider point, even if she seemed unsure quite what it was. Once upon a time, Finucane said, the currency had been at parity with the US dollar. She was not suggesting a parallel between Zimbabwe and Ireland, however, instead airily opining: “When we talk about agreements and the IMF, people don’t realise the consequences.”

Such moments characterise Finucane’s show. The presenter can move from forensic policy discussions to homely wisdom with an ear-catching flourish. Amid the talk about Ireland’s fiscal options, she asked the former PD leader Des O’Malley if the bailout meant the country’s hands were tied anyway. O’Malley, who had earlier joked “I can only save Ireland once”, agreed, saying that Ajai Chopra, the head of the IMF delegation, was “the latest governor-general of Ireland, which is a slightly frightening thought”.

Naturally enough, the horror story of the economy dominated the week's radio. For some it was all too much. On Tuesday Ray D'Arcy(Today FM, weekdays) bemoaned the prospect of "five-hour specials" picking over our misery. "Close your eyes, hold your nose and we'll get through it, rather than listen to all that chat," he said.

Accordingly, D’Arcy and his team were near maniacal in their good cheer throughout the week. Even when the comedian Des Bishop turned up to discuss his father’s cancer there was a giddiness to the proceedings. The comic’s dad was doing far better than expected, Bishop said, to the point that they were about to have their “second-last Christmas together”.

But it was difficult to avoid the main topic for long. On Wednesday Brian Lenihan turned up on Today with Pat Kenny(RTÉ Radio 1, weekdays) for the Minister's customary post-Budget encounter with the public. Unsurprisingly, callers were unhappy. Tom Curran, a full-time carer, was perplexed that benefits had been cut when carers such as he saved the State a fortune by looking after ill family members at home. Brian, a hospital worker, was furious, first asking what pain Lenihan was taking (his answer: take-home pay reduced from €140,000 to €88,000 over the past three years) then wondering whether the Minister would struggle to feed his children.

Lenihan largely maintained an understanding demeanour under this barrage, bridling only at the suggestion that he hung out at golf clubs. “I don’t play golf,” he said indignantly. Instead, he said, he had spent the past two and a half years working night and day on resolving this crisis. Speaking to single mother Sarah, he again sounded a wounded note: “Do you think I want to take money off people?” Even so, he did not concede that his actions had led to the current crisis. When Kenny asked if he regretted the guarantee for a “casino bank” such as Anglo-Irish, Lenihan said his main regret was that the institution had been allowed to grow so large.

Overall, it was a compelling session, well marshalled by Kenny, who curtailed some of the longer caller rants. But compared with Lenihan’s previous post-budget slots there was a slightly hollow feel to the exercise. In the post-bailout world Lenihan’s appearance was akin to those post-match interviews where the assistant coach turns up rather than Sir Alex Ferguson: the insights were interesting, but you wanted to hear from the real boss. If Kenny wants to be on the money next year he might consider inviting Mr Chopra.

Radio moment of the week

The strain started to tell on Brian Cowen when he appeared on Wednesday's News at One (RTÉ Radio 1, weekdays). In a tetchy interview with Sean O'Rourke the Taoiseach sounded more concerned with his treatment by the broadcaster than the state of the country. "This station has been on an editorial line of how many times can the Taoiseach say I'm sorry," he said, adding that he had apologised about the economy numerous times. O'Rourke retorted that there was no such editorial line and that, rather than expressing remorse in his Budget speech, the Taoiseach had spoken of his pride in the Government's achievements. But Cowen still presented himself as a wronged man, wondering whether his interviewer would ask Eamon Gilmore to apologise for accusing him of economic treason. With his crabby, petulant tone, Cowen scored an own goal.