4 "genuine news" orgs have published the same false claim without checking it first.

Independent
Michael D Higgins has never been to Venezuela that hasn't stopped Peter Casey claiming that he has and that he used public money to do so. This has been published by 4 "genuine news" orgs without checking it, pointing it out and then challenging Casey on it.


'Higgins kept seat warm while being paid vast amounts of money' – millionaire presidential hopeful slams 'bonkers' pay Kevin Doyle August 30 2018

He [Peter Casey] added: "I wouldn't have supported him going to Cuba and supporting Fidel Castro… or extolling the virtues of Hugo Chavez. I'd like to hear his answers as what justified using taxpayers' money to go to these countries," he said.

Peter Casey is suggesting Higgins spent tax payers money to go to Venezuela, when he's never been there, Peter Casey has made the same claim on radio, that Higgins visited Cuba and Venezuela so he is referring to both "countries".

RTE radio
On Thu, Aug 30 on the RTE Radio 1 Today Show with Miriam O'Callaghan at the very end of the interview Peter Casey says, "I don't really think it was an attack. I made an observation that he visited Cuba and visited Venezuela"

RTE.ie
The Presidential Election: it's David vs Goliath RTE.ie by Paul Cunningham Sunday, 2 Sep 2018

The former Dragon's Den candidate Peter Casey is a case in point. Mr Casey fired a salvo at President Higgins this week - condemning him for visiting Cuba and Venezuela as President. He said: "I don't believe in him [President Higgins] supporting governments that are totalitarian and undemocratic at the Irish taxpayers' expense."

Its been corrected to say now reads "While President Higgins never visited Venezuela..." why is the word "While" used?

Irish Times

Peter Casey: ‘Whoever wins it, it will not be President Michael D Higgins’ Irish Times Aug 31, 2018 Ronan McGreevy

Higgins has “certainly not embarrassed the presidency”, he says, though he believes the President should not have visited Cuba.

This sentence originally said "and Venezuela" There was a note subsequently added at the bottom correcting this,

This article was amended on August 31st to reflect the fact that President Higgins has not visited Venezuela, as Mr Casey suggested.

The article hasn't been edited 'to reflect the fact that President Higgins has not visited Venezuela, as Mr Casey suggested' its been edited as if Casey never claimed he had. Why didn't the Irish Times check the claims and then ring Peter Casey and ask him about it before publishing it.

Projects Arts Centre and Irish Council for Civil Liberties Vs the Charities Regulator and Planning Laws.

Did Project Arts Centre or ICCL ever respond to this point made by the Charities regulator. I've no problem with the mural or the idea that art is political or shouldn't be subject to regulation but if you are going to cite legislation, then you can't really complain.

Statement regarding Project Arts Centre Charities Regulator 23 April 2018

In its response to the Charities Regulator, the Project Arts Centre stated that it was facilitating the display of art and not engaging in political activity. However, the Charities Regulator noted that on the charity’s website, the charity stated that it was relying on an exemption relating to political advertisements under the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, which enabled it to publicise the political advertisement without the requirement for planning permission (see note to the editor). By doing so, the Project Arts Centre had itself classified the mural as a political advertisement, as opposed to the Charities Regulator making that determination.

You can’t paint over an issue, but you can paint over an artwork! Maser mural update. Project Arts Centre April 20th 2018

We draw a distinct line between supporting artists who make work that is highly political and engaging in political activism.

Repeal the 8th: Maser's Mural Reinstalled at Project Arts Centre Project Arts Centre April 10th 2018

Since it was founded in 1966, Project Arts Centre has always placed the vision and freedom of expression of the artist at the centre of our work. We believe that all art is, in some way or other, indelibly political because it relates to the workings of the society from which it emerges. This artwork by Maser was first programmed at Project Arts Centre in July 2016 and was removed due to planning legislation. According to The Planning & Development Regulations 2001, Schedule 2, Part 2, Exempted Developments, Class 14, the mural is not subject to planning permission in the context of the upcoming Referendum.

Planning and Development Regulations

CLASS 14

Advertisements relating to an election to the office of President of Ireland, an election of members of Dáil Éireann, the Parliament of the European Communities, a local authority or Údarás na Gaeltachta, or a referendum within the meaning of the Referendum Act, 1994 .

No such advertisement shall be exhibited, and no advertisement structure erected for the purpose of exhibiting such advertisement shall be left in place, for more than 7 days after the date of the election or referendum to which the advertisement relates.

Freedom of artistic expression and the referendum on the 8th amendment 2018/05 Irish Council for Civil Liberties

A view is clearly forming among State bodies and the arts sector in response that, during the referendum period, artistic expression that was previously recognised as art and deemed worthy of funding or charitable status is now “too political” to be allowed. The change in attitude based on the referendum can be seen from the fact that, in 2016, the Charities Regulator took no issue with the response it received from the Project Arts Centre when it asked the charity for information as to how it had reached the view that Maser’s mural featuring the words “Repeal the 8th” related directly to its charitable purpose of advancing public education in the arts.

But The Project Arts Centre they took it down then too.

Maser Artwork Subject to Planning Permission to Be Taken Down Project Arts Centre July 25th 2016