Through the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO), the EU supports a European network of fact-checkers, including TheJournal in Ireland. For a monthly roundup of European fact-checks, visit the main EDMO website. Here, we highlight recent fact-checks by TheJournal FactCheck team.
Explainer: What exemption does Poland have in the EU Migration Pact?
Published: 25 September – by Shane Raymond
An Aontú press release claimed that Poland received a full exemption from the EU Migration Pact on the grounds that it already hosts a million Ukrainians. In response to The Journal, an Aontú spokesperson clarified that this quote only referred to the pact’s solidarity mechanism. Poland has indeed been granted a one-year exemption to this specific part of the pact, following an EU Commission finding that the country faced a significant migratory situation.
Explainer: Did Michelle O’Neill break the law by going to Portadown?
Published: 29 September – by Shane Raymond
First Minister of Northern Ireland Michelle O’Neill has faced accusations of breaking the law by attending protests against an Orange Order march in Portadown. The DUP leader Gavin Robinson accused O’Neill of giving a two-fingered salute to the Parades Commission and court systems. Legal questions centre on whether the protests violated notification rules under the Public Processions Act 1998, though Daniel Holder of the Committee on the Administration of Justice cited protections for spontaneous protests under the European Convention on Human Rights.
AI images and misinformation shared widely online during Garvaghy Road stand-off
Published: 30 September – by Shane Raymond
Tensions over a proposed Orange Order march in Portadown have been accompanied by online misinformation, including an image shared by TUV deputy leader Ron McDowell. McDowell admitted that the photograph showing a massive crowd listening to him speak was generated by AI. He claimed he posted it for entertainment and spoke to a crowd of about 500 people, though the Irish News and the Belfast Telegraph reported estimates of 200.