job interview at RTE

Interviewer: "I'm Ron Baines, Head of  Commissioning at RTE. You may remember me from such wives as Miriam O'Callaghan whose programmes I used to sell to RTE even while she was receiving an annual salary from RTE. That old gag. (Hag surely? Ed note.) Afterwards I was hired as Head of Commissioning. Nothing to do with my, er, connection to Miriam. Ha, ha. Hilarious no. So Mr Healy."

James: "Okay. I've about forty years experience in journalism. I've edited an internet website for 15 years. I've worked in print journalism as feature writer, editor and journalist. I've presented radio programmes and produced them. My play has toured Ireland. I've published a book."

Interviewer: "Yes but are you Ted Walshe's daughter?"

James: "What do you mean?"

Interviewer: "Are you Ted Walshe's daughter? It's a requirement for this job."

James: "I don't understand."

Interviewer: "There's a quota you know."

James: "You mean like gender balance. Equal numbers of men and women?"

Interviewer: "No. I mean we're just hiring members of Ted Walshe's family."