asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he is aware that newsreels shown in cinemas throughout the country contain little or no matter of interest to Irish people and whether he would consider taking steps to ensure that in future newsreels shown in cinemas would aim primarily at showing items of news of Irish events and of Irish interest.
- Irish Interest in Newsreels.
I am not aware that the position is as indicated in the first part of the question.
As regards the second part of the question, this matter is under consideration as part of a wider inquiry into the whole question of the film industry.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary not aware that the main features of the newsreels served up to their patrons by the Dublin cinemas are the pirouettings of British royal personages, and that much of the fare is of an anti-national, propagandist nature of no real interest to the Irish people? If the Parliamentary Secretary is not aware of that, I suggest it is time that he should be made aware of it.
The Deputy must realise that it is a matter of opinion as to what people are interested in seeing in films. I have no doubt that people in this country are interested in events elsewhere, and it may be that they have not any particular appreciation of the matter to which the Deputy refers.