Catalan 'Idiot' Jibe Probed By RTÉ

The Irish State broadcaster has been investigating reports that a woman from the Catalan region of Spain who was being interviewed by an RTÉ reporter was branded an "idiot".
The Dublin-based broadcaster's investigation was sparked when the Spanish Ambassador Dona Mercedes Rico lodged an official complaint after the Nine O'Clock News broadcast a segment from Barcelona when Spain won the World Cup.
The Ambassador in Dublin took offence to the remark and wrote to RTÉ to complain.
Additional viewers notified the broadcaster that they felt the report had an "anti-Spanish" tone.
The piece was recorded in Barcelona in the fiercely independent Catalan region and showed one woman who said in broken English: "I hate Spain. I am Catalan, not Spanish."
When the interviewer pressed her for her views now that Spain had won the World Cup, she replied: "Spanish people is idiot!"
A spokeswoman for RTÉ said that, as with all complaints, it was taken seriously: "We confirmed at the time that we received a complaint from the Spanish embassy.
"This was complaint was taken seriously. And we have nothing further to add."
Meanwhile, the YouTube clip of the report has received over 14,000 hits and sparked a further debate between Spaniards and Catalans.
(BMcC/GK)