FACT CHECK: Did Irish Politician Eamon Ryan Call On Radio And TV Stations To Not Play This Christmas Song?

A viral Facebook post shared over 700 times claims Irish politician Eamon Ryan called on TV and radio stations to not play a Christmas song because it “glamorises and promotes” driving.

Verdict: False

There is no evidence Ryan called for radio and TV stations to do such a thing. The claim appears to originate from a satirical Twitter account.

Fact Check:

Ryan serves as the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications and as the Minister for Transport in the Irish government. He has also served as the leader of the Irish Green Party since 2011, according to BBC News. (RELATED: Did Irish Deputy Prime Minister Leo Varadkar Say That Introducing A Rent Freeze Could Create A Nightmare Scenario?)

The Oct. 26 Facebook post features a picture of Ryan speaking into a news microphone, with the caption alleging, “Eamon Ryan has called on all the Irish radio and TV stations to avoid playing ‘Driving Home For Christmas’ this festive period, claiming that the song ‘glamorises and promotes’ car use, which is totally unacceptable and against the green party agenda.”

There is, however, no evidence Ryan called for TV and radio stations to boycott the song “Driving Home For Christmas” because it “glamorises and promotes” car usage. Such a remark does not appear on his verified Twitter and Facebook accounts. He hasn’t posted anything to that effect on the “Updates” section of his website.

There is also no reporting from Irish media outlets such as the Irish Times, Independent.ie and DublinLive to corroborate the Facebook post’s claim. Instead, the allegation seems to originate from a Twitter account, @DrHaroldNews, which describes itself as “FAKE news, MADE-UP quotes, and topical left-wing SATIRE from Dr Harold” in its bio.

The photo of Ryan that appears in both the Facebook post and the satirical tweet shows him “arriving at Dublin Castle for a meeting of the Cabinet” on May 18, according to its description.

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