asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs whether he is aware that in the last news report on Radio Éireann of Wednesday, June 14th, on the Committee Stage of the Finance Bill, 1950, while there was a fairly comprehensive report on the debate on entertainments duty on ceilidhithe and dances, the name of the Deputy who proposed the amendments dealing with entertainments organised for educational, philanthropic or charitable purposes and the employment of professional musicians, and who spoke several times on these amendments, was not mentioned; and if he will make available a copy of the news script used by Radio Éireann in reporting the debate for the late news of Wednesday, June 14th.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Radio Éireann News Reports.
The radio references to the Dáil debate on the duty on dances consisted merely of one typed page whereas the debate itself fills 72 columns of the Official Report. The Deputy will understand that such an abbreviated and necessarily hurried bulletin could not do more than pick a phrase or two from what was said by a small number of speakers in the section of the debate covered, without adverting to the particular Deputy or Deputies who moved amendments.
As regards the latter part of the question, it is contrary to the practice of my Department to supply copies of the scripts of news bulletins. In this connection I would refer the Deputy to the reply given to Deputy Little on the 22nd June, 1948.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will state what principle, rule or instruction governs the compilation of the news scripts for Radio Éireann of debates in Dáil Éireann.
I have personally laid down no principles for our radio newsmen, who are trained journalists with no interests to serve but the faithful presentation of news. The newsmen themselves are guided by their journalistic experience and the standards of their profession in the compilation and presentation of news for broadcasting.