The SDLP has urged the British government to support calls to RTÉ to reverse its decision to close the station’s London office after the Olympics.
SDLP South Down MP Margaret Ritchie has tabled a Commons motion in an attempt to secure the support of MPs for the call. Saying the bureau had “an illustrious record of service”, Ms Ritchie said it had kept Irish viewers informed about British economic, political and cultural life.
Equally, it had contributed to the peaceful resolution of the Northern Ireland conflict.
She said the “on-the-spot” presence of Irish media in London “is vital to fulfil the vision of future British-Irish relations” as set out by Taoiseach Enda Kenny and British prime Minister David Cameron in March.