Paul Cunningham

I cover politics for RTE Television, Radio and Online

I reported on all political matters for radio, television and online.

The Week In Politics is RTE Television's specialist political programme which is broadcast each Sunday. It features the latest political news from home and abroad with interviews live in studio, plus analysis of the week's political events.

I reported for RTE's online, radio and TV services on all matters relating to Europe. I also regularly worked on assignments outside the EU. In January 2014, I produced a series of reports from Iran on how EU-brokered nuclear talks had resulted in the possibility of crippling economic sanctions being lifted. In February 2014, I reported from Ukraine on how protests in Kiev turned into a grizzly shoot-out in which around 100 people were killed. The following month, I was on assignment in Iraq on how the Kurdish areas have responded to the flood of refugees from Syria over the past three years. In the first two years, the work was mainly focused on the eurozone debt crisis. During that time, there were 12 EU leaders summits instead of the usual 8. The Irish government's campaign to secure debt relief also resulted in numerous reports from Paris, Berlin, Luxembourg and Rome. Reporting on elections in Greece in 2012 and Portugal in 2011 largely related to the politics of austerity. I also analysed the impacts of those policies in places like Spain. Other assignments have included the trial of the Bosnian Serb former commander Ratko Mladic at The Hague; tensions between Georgia and the breakaway region of Abkhazia; and 20 years on from the outbreak of the siege of Sarajevo. Due to my previous experience, I was sent to Japan in March of 2011 to report on the earthquake and subsequent tsunami which resulted in the nuclear disaster at Fukushima.

The brief had a very broad focus including subjects such as - energy - transport - planning/architecture - heritage - environment My initial focus involved investigations into the multi-million euro illegal dumping industry. Within a few years, the question of climate change began to dominate. I reported on UN meetings in Montreal, Bali and Copenhagen, as well as evidence of global warming impacts in the Arctic. I also wrote a book - * Ireland's Burning - How climate change will affect you; Poolbeg Press 2008 Due to earlier experience, I continued to report on conflicts around the world including war in Darfur, Chad, Pakistan, Kosovo, and Nepal. I also covered natural disasters in Mozambique and New Orleans and the aftermath of the nuclear diaster at Chernobyl. One assignment in 2003 focused on Chile - 30 years on from the coup. When required, I was a stand-in presenter for RTE Radio's Morning Ireland, News @ One and This Week programmes. I also was one of the presenters on RTE TV's One to One programme. TV documentary work included: * Kidnapped: Sharon Commins' hostage ordeal in Darfur - Dec, 2010 * Green Gold: Search for Ireland's Green Economy - Nov, 2010 * Far Away - So Close: Conflict in Guatemala - Dec 2008 * Prime Time Special: The tragedy of Darfur - Dec 2004

This work was focused on the Lindsay Tribunal which examined how and why Irish people with haemophilia contracted HIV and hepatitis C from contaminated blood products. This involved reporting on the individuals who were so deeply traumatised by the blood contamination disaster as well as investigative work into how HIV and hepatitis C infected blood ended up in products produced both in Ireland and the US. This culminated in an award-winning documentary * Bad Blood: US drug firms and Ireland's haemophiliacs - 2002. And a book written with Rosemary Daly * A Case of Bad Blood – the HIV / hep C scandal; Poolbeg Press - 2002

I worked as a news reporter working on both radio and television. On numerous occasions, I worked in RTE's Belfast office during intense periods such as the conflict over an Orange Order march at Drumcree. My particular area of interest was foreign coverage. I reported from South Africa, Algeria, Kenya and other countries. I also co-produced a documentary with Joyce Jackson for RTE's True Lives strand on Dubliner Robbie Dillon and his battle with cancer. * Pop-Tarts And Chemotherapy - 1998 With New Decade Television, I also worked on a documentary on Irish military, development and human rights workers involved in trying to end the conflict in Bosnia-Hercegovina * A Noble Failure, New Decade for RTE - 1994

I worked as a freelance reporter for RTE Radio, while also a student. I also had articles published in the Irish Times and Irish Press. When possible, I tried to report on foreign news. Stories included - - Irish Defence Forces serving with the UN in Lebanon, 1992 - Poland emerging from communism, 1990 - Life on death row in Texas, 1989 A highlight was reporting on the New Year's Eve celebrations in Berlin, in the aftermath of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Epic.