RTÉ says losses on cancelled asylum housing deals could top €100m; The Irish Times says €100m was what the deals were worth
Ireland's spending watchdog says settlements paid to end deals with asylum accommodation providers bought "no value". Two Irish outlets read its €100m figure differently, and each opens on a different department. Neither gives the sum actually paid, because the watchdog's report does not give it.
The finding. Ireland's Comptroller and Auditor General says settlements paid after the State cancelled pre-contract deals with asylum accommodation providers secured "no value" and were "a substantial loss to taxpayers". RTÉ News and The Irish Times both quote those words.
Where they part. Lower down, both reports carry the same facts. They differ on what comes first.
| RTÉ News | The Irish Times | |
|---|---|---|
| €100m, up top | losses "could amount to more than €100 million" | the deals' "combined value" |
| Department in the lead | Justice, which cut the portfolio | Children, which signed the deals |
| Public Expenditure | "sanctioned" the settlements | "was not consulted" on the deals |
What the €100m counts. Both reports trace the figure to the Department of Justice. Justice told the watchdog the agreements' potential combined value was more than €100m. RTÉ's own later paragraphs say the same. The Irish Times quotes the report: settlements were "significantly less than the estimated contract values". So €100m measures what the State had committed to, not what it lost.
Who did what. Both say the Department of Children signed the deals in 2024 and early 2025. Justice then took over. It went ahead with one deal, treated others as lapsed and ended the rest.
Not settled. - How much was paid. The report gives no sum. Justice says publishing it could "hamper the State" in court. - Two cases are expected at the Commercial Court. - The Irish Times says plaintiff costs in the three settled cases are still unpaid.
This story is about Irish public money paid to get out of deals for asylum seeker housing that the State decided it no longer wanted.
How it got here. As an EU member, Ireland must house people who apply for international protection, which is asylum, while their claims are decided. For years the State met that duty largely by paying private providers. The watchdog's report says the Government approved a strategy in March 2024 to cut its reliance on commercial providers by 2028. From May 2024 the State's procurement service began signing pre-contract agreements. These promised owners future business so they could borrow to refurbish large buildings. The report says lenders saw such projects as "high risk". The Department of Children, which then ran asylum accommodation, signed the deals. A general election in November 2024 was followed by a new government in January 2025. Responsibility for international protection later passed to the Department of Justice, in mid-2025 according to The Irish Times. Justice decided to shrink the property portfolio and ended most of the deals. Five providers sued the Minister for Justice.
The actors. The Comptroller and Auditor General is an independent office set up under the Constitution. It audits government spending and reports to the Dáil. The Dáil's Public Accounts Committee examines its findings. The Department of Public Expenditure approves spending commitments across government. The Department of Children signed the deals. The Department of Justice ended them and settled the claims.
What is at stake. The first question is whether a department can commit the State to large future spending without the sign-off the rules require. The second is how much a change of policy cost taxpayers. The public does not yet have that figure.
Where it stands. Three cases were settled after mediation, for sums that have not been published. Two are expected at the Commercial Court. The Department of Justice says it no longer uses pre-contract agreements.
What is being argued about
- Whether €100m is a possible loss or the value of the cancelled deals
- Which department the story is about: Children, which signed the deals, or Justice, which cancelled them
- Why the Department of Public Expenditure was not consulted before the deals were signed
- Why the settlement sums are not being published while two cases remain in court
One watchdog report, two readingsSide by side
| Outlet | What €100m means in the opening | Department named first | On Public Expenditure | Gives the sum paid? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RTÉ News | Losses "could amount to more than €100 million" | Justice, which curtailed the portfolio | "Sanctioned" the settlement payments | No |
| The Irish Times | The deals' "combined value of more than €100 million" | Children, which entered the agreements | "Not consulted" before the agreements | No |
Both reports say the €100m figure came from the Department of Justice. They differ on where they put it.
Sources
R
RTÉ News
Taxpayer loss after asylum accommodation deals ended
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at RTÉ News →
What we have measured
Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
T
The Irish Times
Substantial sums paid to asylum seeker accommodation providers represented ‘no value’
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Irish Times →
What we have measured
Actor framing The release is framed as a joint agreement, with no pressure mentioned ×1Actor named Names the residents as the ones who blocked the road ×1Actor named killers named as 'loyalist gunmen'; verb 'shot dead' ×1With no actor named construction no actor named for the theft or the driving in the standfirst ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Centre
estimate · not a score
RTÉ News
🇮🇪IE ·
digital · PUBLIC
Taxpayer loss after asylum accommodation deals ended
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at RTÉ News →
What we have measured
Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
T
The Irish Times
Centre
estimate · not a score
The Irish Times
🇮🇪IE ·
digital ·
Substantial sums paid to asylum seeker accommodation providers represented ‘no value’
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Irish Times →
What we have measured
Actor framing The release is framed as a joint agreement, with no pressure mentioned ×1Actor named Names the residents as the ones who blocked the road ×1Actor named killers named as 'loyalist gunmen'; verb 'shot dead' ×1With no actor named construction no actor named for the theft or the driving in the standfirst ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
From a housing strategy to a watchdog's findingTimeline
- 2024-03— no time published Government Approves a strategy to reduce reliance on commercial asylum accommodation by 2028The Irish Times
- 2024-05— no time published International Protection Procurement Service First uses pre-contract agreementsThe Irish Times
- 2024 to early 2025— no time published Department of Children Enters agreements covering 15 properties 15 propertiesRTÉ News, The Irish Times
- mid-2025— no time published Department of Justice Takes over; goes ahead with one deal, treats three as lapsed, terminates the restThe Irish Times
- undated— no time published Five providers Sue the Minister for Justice; three settle after mediation, two head for the Commercial Court 5 lawsuitsRTÉ News, The Irish Times
- 2026-09-3014:27 UTC published time on the report The Irish Times Reports settlements represented "no value"; gives €100m as the deals' combined value €100mThe Irish Times
- 2026-09-3015:29 UTC published time on the report RTÉ News Reports a "substantial loss" that could amount to more than €100m €100mRTÉ News
Months are as given in the reports. Neither report dates the terminations or the lawsuits.
Sources
R
RTÉ News
Taxpayer loss after asylum accommodation deals ended
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at RTÉ News →
What we have measured
Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
T
The Irish Times
Substantial sums paid to asylum seeker accommodation providers represented ‘no value’
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Irish Times →
What we have measured
Actor framing The release is framed as a joint agreement, with no pressure mentioned ×1Actor named Names the residents as the ones who blocked the road ×1Actor named killers named as 'loyalist gunmen'; verb 'shot dead' ×1With no actor named construction no actor named for the theft or the driving in the standfirst ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Centre
estimate · not a score
RTÉ News
🇮🇪IE ·
digital · PUBLIC
Taxpayer loss after asylum accommodation deals ended
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at RTÉ News →
What we have measured
Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
T
The Irish Times
Centre
estimate · not a score
The Irish Times
🇮🇪IE ·
digital ·
Substantial sums paid to asylum seeker accommodation providers represented ‘no value’
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Irish Times →
What we have measured
Actor framing The release is framed as a joint agreement, with no pressure mentioned ×1Actor named Names the residents as the ones who blocked the road ×1Actor named killers named as 'loyalist gunmen'; verb 'shot dead' ×1With no actor named construction no actor named for the theft or the driving in the standfirst ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The bias in this coverageBias
What the €100m counts
Both reports trace the €100m to the Department of Justice. One puts it up front as a possible loss. The other says the settlements paid were significantly less than that sum, and neither report has the amount actually paid.
1 reports that frame €100m as a possible loss
1 reports that say settlements were well below €100m
0 reports that give the amount actually paid
Which department did it
Both reports say the Department of Children signed the deals. They differ on where they place it: one opens on the Department of Justice, the other on the Department of Children. Only one says the Department of Public Expenditure was not consulted.
2 reports naming the Department of Children as signatory
1 reports opening on the Department of Justice
1 reports saying Public Expenditure was not consulted
Scored without the mastheads. Where the two passes differ, both are kept.
Sources
R
RTÉ News
Taxpayer loss after asylum accommodation deals ended
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at RTÉ News →
What we have measured
Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
T
The Irish Times
Substantial sums paid to asylum seeker accommodation providers represented ‘no value’
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Irish Times →
What we have measured
Actor framing The release is framed as a joint agreement, with no pressure mentioned ×1Actor named Names the residents as the ones who blocked the road ×1Actor named killers named as 'loyalist gunmen'; verb 'shot dead' ×1With no actor named construction no actor named for the theft or the driving in the standfirst ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Centre
estimate · not a score
RTÉ News
🇮🇪IE ·
digital · PUBLIC
Taxpayer loss after asylum accommodation deals ended
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at RTÉ News →
What we have measured
Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
T
The Irish Times
Centre
estimate · not a score
The Irish Times
🇮🇪IE ·
digital ·
Substantial sums paid to asylum seeker accommodation providers represented ‘no value’
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Irish Times →
What we have measured
Actor framing The release is framed as a joint agreement, with no pressure mentioned ×1Actor named Names the residents as the ones who blocked the road ×1Actor named killers named as 'loyalist gunmen'; verb 'shot dead' ×1With no actor named construction no actor named for the theft or the driving in the standfirst ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Claims and verdicts
true
The Comptroller and Auditor General found that payments made after the State cancelled pre-contract deals with asylum accommodation providers obtained 'no value' and were a 'substantial loss' to taxpayers.
RTÉ News and The Irish Times each quote the published report directly, and both carry the words 'no value' and 'substantial loss'. Neither report contradicts the other on this finding.
Checked against 2 sources:
R
RTÉ News
Taxpayer loss after asylum accommodation deals ended
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at RTÉ News →
What we have measured
Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
T
The Irish Times
Substantial sums paid to asylum seeker accommodation providers represented ‘no value’
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Irish Times →
What we have measured
Actor framing The release is framed as a joint agreement, with no pressure mentioned ×1Actor named Names the residents as the ones who blocked the road ×1Actor named killers named as 'loyalist gunmen'; verb 'shot dead' ×1With no actor named construction no actor named for the theft or the driving in the standfirst ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Centre
estimate · not a score
RTÉ News
🇮🇪IE ·
digital · PUBLIC
Taxpayer loss after asylum accommodation deals ended
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at RTÉ News →
What we have measured
Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
T
The Irish Times
Centre
estimate · not a score
The Irish Times
🇮🇪IE ·
digital ·
Substantial sums paid to asylum seeker accommodation providers represented ‘no value’
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Irish Times →
What we have measured
Actor framing The release is framed as a joint agreement, with no pressure mentioned ×1Actor named Names the residents as the ones who blocked the road ×1Actor named killers named as 'loyalist gunmen'; verb 'shot dead' ×1With no actor named construction no actor named for the theft or the driving in the standfirst ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
misleading
The losses from the cancelled asylum accommodation deals could amount to more than €100 million.
RTÉ News says there are 'indications' the losses could exceed €100 million. The Irish Times and RTÉ's own body text show that the €100 million figure is the Department of Justice's estimate of the combined value of the disputed agreements, not of the losses, and The Irish Times quotes the report saying the settlements were 'significantly less than the estimated contract values'.
Checked against 2 sources:
R
RTÉ News
Taxpayer loss after asylum accommodation deals ended
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at RTÉ News →
What we have measured
Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
T
The Irish Times
Substantial sums paid to asylum seeker accommodation providers represented ‘no value’
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Irish Times →
What we have measured
Actor framing The release is framed as a joint agreement, with no pressure mentioned ×1Actor named Names the residents as the ones who blocked the road ×1Actor named killers named as 'loyalist gunmen'; verb 'shot dead' ×1With no actor named construction no actor named for the theft or the driving in the standfirst ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Centre
estimate · not a score
RTÉ News
🇮🇪IE ·
digital · PUBLIC
Taxpayer loss after asylum accommodation deals ended
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at RTÉ News →
What we have measured
Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
T
The Irish Times
Centre
estimate · not a score
The Irish Times
🇮🇪IE ·
digital ·
Substantial sums paid to asylum seeker accommodation providers represented ‘no value’
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Irish Times →
What we have measured
Actor framing The release is framed as a joint agreement, with no pressure mentioned ×1Actor named Names the residents as the ones who blocked the road ×1Actor named killers named as 'loyalist gunmen'; verb 'shot dead' ×1With no actor named construction no actor named for the theft or the driving in the standfirst ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
true
The pre-contract agreements were signed by the Department of Children in 2024 and early 2025, and the Department of Justice ended most of them after it took over responsibility.
RTÉ News and The Irish Times both say the Department of Children entered the agreements and the Department of Justice went ahead with one, treated others as lapsed and terminated the rest. The Irish Times adds that the Department of Integration disclosed no contingent liability in its 2024 accounts, which neither report sets against this account.
Checked against 2 sources:
R
RTÉ News
Taxpayer loss after asylum accommodation deals ended
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at RTÉ News →
What we have measured
Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
T
The Irish Times
Substantial sums paid to asylum seeker accommodation providers represented ‘no value’
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Irish Times →
What we have measured
Actor framing The release is framed as a joint agreement, with no pressure mentioned ×1Actor named Names the residents as the ones who blocked the road ×1Actor named killers named as 'loyalist gunmen'; verb 'shot dead' ×1With no actor named construction no actor named for the theft or the driving in the standfirst ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Centre
estimate · not a score
RTÉ News
🇮🇪IE ·
digital · PUBLIC
Taxpayer loss after asylum accommodation deals ended
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at RTÉ News →
What we have measured
Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
T
The Irish Times
Centre
estimate · not a score
The Irish Times
🇮🇪IE ·
digital ·
Substantial sums paid to asylum seeker accommodation providers represented ‘no value’
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Irish Times →
What we have measured
Actor framing The release is framed as a joint agreement, with no pressure mentioned ×1Actor named Names the residents as the ones who blocked the road ×1Actor named killers named as 'loyalist gunmen'; verb 'shot dead' ×1With no actor named construction no actor named for the theft or the driving in the standfirst ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Who wrote it
P
Pat McGrath
RTÉ News
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Finding carried
Mentions Public Expenditure only as approving the settlement payments. It leaves out that the department was not consulted on the deals.×1
Headline no actor named
The headline names the loss but no department that caused it.×1
Measure chosen
The €100m is presented as a possible loss to taxpayers.×1
Measure chosen
The standfirst presents €100m as a possible loss. The body later says the figure is the department's estimate of what the agreements were worth.×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
1 misleading2 true
From 8 reports we hold under this byline, at
RTÉ News, ABC News (Australia). Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating.
Their full record →
M
Martin Wall
The Irish Times
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Finding carried
Carries the watchdog's finding that the spending department was not consulted before the deals were signed.×1
Measure chosen
Says what the €100m counts, the combined value of the agreements, and separates it from the settlements that were paid.×1
Measure chosen
The €100m is presented as the value of the contracts. The report adds that the settlements were well below that figure.×1
Process failure stated
This is the only report of the two to say that approval from the Minister for Public Expenditure was required and not sought.×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
1 misleading2 true
From 30 reports we hold under this byline, at
The Irish Times. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating.
Their full record →
The bylines on the reports this story is built from. Hover one for what our passes have measured on their reporting.
Coverage, outlet by outlet
R
RTÉ News
Taxpayer loss after asylum accommodation deals ended
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at RTÉ News →
What we have measured
Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
— PUBLIC
Centre
estimate · not a score
RTÉ News
🇮🇪IE ·
digital · PUBLIC
Taxpayer loss after asylum accommodation deals ended
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at RTÉ News →
What we have measured
Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
— PUBLICRTÉ News gives the terms of the deals: two to three years, extensions of up to five more, paid at a daily rate per bed. It also gives the total cost of asylum accommodation in 2025: €1.36 billion, up €300 million on the
Taxpayer loss after asylum accommodation deals ended Updated / Wednesday, 30 Sep 2026 17:17 Specific loss figures are not contained in today's report but they could amount to more than €100 million Pat McGrath By Pat McGrath Western Correspondent There has been a "substantial loss" to taxpayers as a result of the termination of agreements with a number of potential asylum seeker accommodation providers. Specific figures in relation to the losses are not contained in today's report from the Comptroller and Auditor General, but there are indications that they could amount to more than €100 milli
Measure chosen: The standfirst presents €100m as a possible loss. The body later says the figure is the department's estimate of what the agreements were worth. — “Specific loss figures are not contained in today's report but they could amount to more than €100 million”
Who is named as acting: Opens the story on the Department of Justice's decision. The Department of Children, which signed the deals, appears only near the end. — “after the Department of Justice decided to curtail the size of the international protection property portfolio”
Finding carried: Mentions Public Expenditure only as approving the settlement payments. It leaves out that the department was not consulted on the deals. — “The payments, following mediation, were sanctioned by the Department of Public Expenditure”
Measure chosen: The €100m is presented as a possible loss to taxpayers. — “there are indications that they could amount to more than €100 million”
Who is named as acting: The Department of Justice is named as the actor behind the cutback. The Department of Children's role in signing the deals only appears lower down. — “after the Department of Justice decided to curtail the size of the international protection property portfolio”
Headline no actor named: The headline names the loss but no department that caused it. — “Taxpayer loss after asylum accommodation deals ended”
Read it at RTÉ News →
https://www.rte.ie/news/2026/0930/1593541-taxpayer-loss-asylum-accommod…
T
The Irish Times
Substantial sums paid to asylum seeker accommodation providers represented ‘no value’
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Irish Times →
What we have measured
Actor framing The release is framed as a joint agreement, with no pressure mentioned ×1Actor named Names the residents as the ones who blocked the road ×1Actor named killers named as 'loyalist gunmen'; verb 'shot dead' ×1With no actor named construction no actor named for the theft or the driving in the standfirst ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
—
Centre
estimate · not a score
The Irish Times
🇮🇪IE ·
digital ·
Substantial sums paid to asylum seeker accommodation providers represented ‘no value’
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Irish Times →
What we have measured
Actor framing The release is framed as a joint agreement, with no pressure mentioned ×1Actor named Names the residents as the ones who blocked the road ×1Actor named killers named as 'loyalist gunmen'; verb 'shot dead' ×1With no actor named construction no actor named for the theft or the driving in the standfirst ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
— Only The Irish Times reports that the deals needed the Minister for Public Expenditure's approval and that the Department of Integration disclosed no contingent liability in its 2024 accounts. It also reports that the
The State paid out “substantial” sums in legal settlements to the providers of accommodation for asylum seekers after it cancelled precontract agreements, the State spending watchdog has said. A report from the Comptroller and Auditor General published on Wednesday said “no value” had been secured from the money paid out, which represented “a substantial loss to taxpayers”. The report says precontract agreements entered into by the Department of Children in 2024 and early 2025 – with a combined value of more than €100 million – represented commitments to significant future expenditure. It said
Measure chosen: Says what the €100m counts, the combined value of the agreements, and separates it from the settlements that were paid. — “The settlement amounts are significantly less than the estimated contract values.”
Who is named as acting: Names the Department of Children as the signatory in the second paragraph. — “precontract agreements entered into by the Department of Children in 2024 and early 2025 – with a combined value of more than €100 million”
Finding carried: Carries the watchdog's finding that the spending department was not consulted before the deals were signed. — “The watchdog said the Department of Public Expenditure was not consulted before entering the precontract agreements”
Measure chosen: The €100m is presented as the value of the contracts. The report adds that the settlements were well below that figure. — “The settlement amounts are significantly less than the estimated contract values.”
Who is named as acting: The Department of Children is named in the lead as the body that signed the deals. A third department is named for the missing disclosure. — “no contingent liability in respect of these arrangements had been disclosed by the Department of Integration in its accounts for 2024”
Process failure stated: This is the only report of the two to say that approval from the Minister for Public Expenditure was required and not sought. — “which should have required the approval of the Minister for Public Expenditure”
Read it at The Irish Times →
https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026/09/30/substantial-sums-paid-to-…
Checked, didn’t cover
R
RNZ
Centre
estimate · not a score
RNZ
🇳🇿NZ ·
digital · PUBLIC
What we have measured
Headline against body headline claims a 20-year decline reversed; the first line of the body reports a new low in reading ×1Headline against body headline claims a turnaround; the text carries a record low and puts it on boys ×1
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ABC News (Australia)
Centre
estimate · not a score
ABC News (Australia)
🇦🇺AU ·
public broadcaster · public-service
What we have measured
Actor label and hedge The same man is called 'far-right' and named by his legal name. The act is hedged with 'allegedly', where the longer report states it flat. ×1A different count, stated flat one dead and 140 missing, unattributed, earliest of the four ×1Affected counted The only report to count the local people affected ×1Are the dead named one of the dead named, through a relative at the hospital ×1
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The Guardian
Centre-left
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The Guardian
🇬🇧UK ·
newspaper · independent
What we have measured
Actor named Denial in the passive voice, with no one named as the person who dismissed it ×1Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source ×1Actor named Ireland named as the side that ended the conference ×1Allegation omitted the police statement is cut with an ellipsis where the other two reports carry the controlling or coercive behaviour allegation ×1
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C
CBC News
Centre-left
estimate · not a score
CBC News
🇨🇦CA ·
public broadcaster · public-service
What we have measured
Asserted vs attributed the measure is attributed to the three governments; the territory is called occupied in the outlet's own voice ×1Attribution kept in the headline the sourcing travels with the claim into the headline ×1Figure rounded in the headline more than 600 in the headline; the body sources it to a flight-tracking site ×1How the sourcing is hedged the claim is hedged to an unnamed newspaper in both headline and body; the reporting is not held by this report ×1
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Silence is recorded, not inferred — each of these was read when we built this story
and carried nothing on this event.
We could not read these
BBC News
Centre
estimate · not a score
BBC News
🇬🇧UK ·
public broadcaster · public-service
What we have measured
Dating and attribution 'It was not until Tuesday' is a judgement about delay, not a date. No other report we hold comments on how long the German finding took. ×1How hard the claim is stated Headline says the UN voted to adopt and replace; the last sentence of the report says the vote is non-binding ×1How hard the claim is stated The qualification arrives in the last sentence and is immediately overridden by an effect the report gives no source for. ×1Which figure is used States the replacement as done — the Assembly voted to replace the map — where the resolution urges states to use a different projection. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The Daily Telegraph
Right
estimate · not a score
The Daily Telegraph
🇬🇧UK ·
newspaper · independent
What we have measured
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The Times
Centre-right
estimate · not a score
The Times
🇬🇧UK ·
newspaper · independent
What we have measured
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
These are must-cite outlets for this desk that we did not manage to read
when we built this story. That is a gap in our reach, not a silence on their part, and
it is not evidence of anything about this story.