Before you go into the ordinary business, may I ask you, or the President, when we may expect a statement with regard the absence of the Press from our proceedings, and if the causes which led to that are being considered?
WITHDRAWAL OF PRESS FROM DAIL.
I think this is a question for myself. A statement was made, informally, after the adjournment on Tuesday evening last. Statements have appeared in the Press which are based altogether upon the statements of the Pressmen concerned. The editors of the papers have not, before publishing these statements, taken any steps to ascertain whether there was any other point of view. My knowledge of the matter now is that according to the statements in the Press, the Pressmen have decided to send a letter to me. I have not received that letter.
Mr. BYRNE
May I ask whether anything will be done to find out the grievances as reported in the Press, that these men complain of, and if these grievances will be attended to. I do not wish to go into it, but I understand that the grievances are lack of proper lavatory accommodation, lack of proper facilities for refreshments, and lack of facilities for their boy messengers, who have to wait outside the door in the rain. I think if that is so, the Committee having charge of procedure should look into the matter, and give these men the facilities which they are entitled to.
There is no question whatever as to the disadvantages under which the Press labour. These disadvantages are shared in common, I think, with the rest of us. I received a notice from the Press last Friday evening, and I went into it on Monday. The Clerk saw representatives of the Pressmen on Monday afternoon. Apparently some misunderstanding arose from that. There is no change in the situation, which is that the grievances of the Pressmen can, to a certain extent, be remedied.
I suppose that has been conveyed to them.
The Clerk was instructed by me to convey it to them, and he did so.
Was it to the authorised representatives of the men concerned?
No, it was to certain representatives of the Press. The document sent to me was signed by 23 Pressmen, and the Clerk got into communication with the first signatories as being the most convenient, and understood in his conversation with three Pressmen that they would return to him, having received authority from their colleagues. They did not return.
I suggest that the position as outlined by you should be formally conveyed to the newspapers. The impression created by no counter-statement is that the representations that have been made got no consideration and no attention, and it is on that account the men are remaining away. It is fair to the Dáil and fair to yourself that the statement that you have now made should be conveyed to the newspapers, and the editors asked to publish it.
I am rather loth to send statements to the Press, but I recognise that it may be necessary to convey the statement that I have made to the Press. However, yesterday afternoon the Managers of the Newspapers intervened, and when the Dáil was rising yesterday I was under the impression that the matter would by now be adjusted. Pending that adjustment I thought better not to issue any statement to the Press. The managers sent a letter to the Pressmen yesterday evening. It would appear from this morning's papers that a letter was sent by us to the Pressmen. The fact is the letter was sent by the managers. As it is stated in the newspapers to-day that a letter is being sent to me, I thought it better to await that letter rather than to issue a statement to the papers. If an adjustment cannot be made to-day I shall have to consider the question of publishing the position as we see it. The first communication that I had from the Newspaper men was last October. They sent me in a statement of a number of difficulties under which they were labouring, and I interviewed them. I gave instructions, and understood that certain remedies had been found, remedies that were as good as we could find in the circumstances. Subsequent to that interview I have had no communication until the one which I received last Friday. There is no need to say that if, any time, either orally or in writing, I had been approached by the Pressmen, I would have been glad to see them, and discover whether their difficulties would be removed either partially or wholly, but I received no such representation until last Friday. Subsequent to that I went round the ground myself. I am under the impression that there is some misunderstanding in the matter which the managers thought they could remove yesterday. Apparently, they have so far failed to remove it.
I have read a statement in the Press which I take and which appears to be correct. It stated that a meeting of the Journalists Association was held, and that a Committee was elected. That Committee, as far as I know, was composed of the principal men who report the proceedings of this Dáil. I do not think there is any loss of dignity to be incurred by anybody approaching those people if they are the authorised representatives of the men suffering from these grievances. I suggest that it be done in that way, and not be carried out through a third party, who, presumably, have no power at all to settle the matter in dispute.
It may be necessary for you to take the opinion of the Dáil on the matter, because I think there is a fairly strong opinion that you should make no further representations to the Pressmen. If they want to come back, let them come back.
I deprecate discussion, but Deputy Davin has made a statement which is not quite accurate. I am in no way afraid of losing my dignity——
I am not referring to you, sir.
I think people who do not possess any dignity are most afraid of losing it, as a general rule in life. At the earliest opportunity after I received this letter from the Pressmen, and before the Dáil met again, I took certain steps, and I am at a loss to understand now what further steps I am expected to take. The Pressmen saw the Clerk, and if they have any misunderstanding about what occurred I take it they could indicate that to me, and we would see whether it could be remedied. With regard to the intervention of the managers, I saw one manager as readily as I would have seen one reporter or one editor. The managers saw the Pressmen, and they believed they could settle the trouble. They saw the Clerk, and conveyed to the Pressmen that they had an undertaking from the Clerk that remedies could be effected, and the managers communicated that to the Pressmen. I think they were clearly within their rights. I have no desire whatever to avoid meeting anybody, and I think it would be better if, perhaps, the matter were left so, so that we could see what will happen.
On a matter of personal explanation, and to leave Deputy de Roiste under no misapprehension, I may say I have felt far more comfortable since the Pressmen withdrew from the Dáil, because now in the course of business we can speak more freely to one another. I would like to make that clear to Deputy de Roiste.
Mr. BYRNE
And shorter speeches.
Some people have not spoken at all since the Press left.
Including yourself.
It is time enough.