Through the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO), the EU supports a European network of factcheckers, including TheJournal in Ireland. For a monthly roundup of European factchecks, visit the main EDMO website. Here, we highlight recent pieces by TheJournal FactCheck team.
Debunked: There are no special tax-free arrangements for Islamic banking or ‘halal mortgages’
Published: 3 July – by Shane Raymond
An anti-immigration activist has falsely claimed Muslims get tax-free mortgages and exclusive €60,000 finance offers in Ireland. Revenue told The Journal that “halal mortgages” are taxed identically to conventional loans, and that the €60,000 figure referenced in the video does not appear anywhere on the cited webpage.
Debunked: A fake government memo falsely claims Irish leaders visited Epstein’s private island
Published: 8 July – by Shane Raymond
Fake documents circulating online claim Irish political leaders visited Jeffrey Epstein’s island and were named in the “Epstein files.” In reality, the released files either don’t mention those leaders at all or only reference routine news appearances. The supposed government correspondence uses incorrect department names, impossible dates, and handwritten formatting that official documents never use.
Debunked: ‘Cheapfake’ video shared online makes Leo Varadkar appear to complain about immigrants
Published: 9 July – by Shane Raymond
A video appearing to show former taoiseach Leo Varadkar complaining about immigrants uses real footage but swaps out the audio and subtitles to deceive viewers. The original clip comes from a Euronews interview about Brexit, in which Varadkar expresses regret over the UK’s decision. The dubbed voice is not an exact match, and the audio doesn’t fully sync with the video.