On looking at the Seanad debates of February 4th last, volume 52, column 442, I noticed a reference by me, in the third paragraph, to the news editor of Radio Éireann. I want to make it clear that I did not intend to refer to an individual and therefore I am taking the first opportunity available to me of stating that in this connection I had no intention of casting a reflection on a particular individual.
Personal Explanation by Senator.
Could the Senator add to that? Would the Senator go further and say that the Director General is in fact an Irish national? Apparently the Senator said that the Director of Radio Éireann was not an Irish national.
That is not quite correct. What I said was that the Director not being an Irishman——
An Irish national.
That is the second paragraph of my statement, Sir: "I understand the Director of Broadcasting was consulted about it. Being a non-national, it is possible he did not understand the seriousness of the matter..." I think that should stand.
He is a national.
He was not born in this country.
He is an Irish national and I intended to make a statement on the matter.
If he is an Irish national, certainly he spent the bulk of his life outside the country.
We cannot debate the matter. If the Minister says the person concerned is an Irish national, that should be accepted.
If the Minister tells me he is an Irish national, of course I accept it. I was really exculpating the Director of Broadcasting by reason of the fact that he might not understand the matter. I think the inference in the third paragraph, in the way it is reported, is a more serious one, as it pointed to a particular individual, which I did not intend.