On the motion for Adjournment, Deputy Cogan gave notice to raise the subject matter of Question No. 29 on to-day's Order Paper.
Supplementary and Additional Estimate. - Adjournment Debate—Irish News Agency.
In raising this matter, I am actuated by a desire to see that an injustice is not done to a very important profession in this country, the journalistic profession. I am also actuated by a desire to see that a grave menace is not created in this country to the liberty of the Press and to the liberty of a citizen in freely expressing his opinion. The Irish News Agency was established under an Act of this House and in the past two years over £50,000 has been voted by this House for its upkeep. It may be claimed that this money is repayable, but God only knows when, if ever, it will be repaid. A grant of £25,000 per year out of the taxpayers' money has been provided for the news agency over the last two years. It is important to consider whether, in granting this money to maintain this news agency, we are not creating a monster that will destroy all freedom of expression, all freedom of thought and all freedom of the Press in this country.
When the Bill was going through this House, a number of Deputies expressed grave concern lest the Irish News Agency should become a menace (1) to the journalistic profession in Ireland, and (2) the freedom of the Press. Those views having been expressed by Deputies, I think, on all sides of the House, the then Minister for External Affairs, Deputy MacBride, took steps to assure the House in the most emphatic way that it was not the intention of the Irish News Agency to supply what he described as "hot" news to the Irish newspapers or any other newspapers. Speaking on the Second Reading of the Irish News Agency Bill on 13th July, 1949, as reported in column 761 of the Official Reports, Deputy MacBride said:—
"It is not proposed that the news agency should enter into the field of ‘hot' news. To non-journalist members of the House I might elaborate that. It is not intended that the news agency should supply reports of accidents, crimes, racing, Dáil debates or stock exchange reports."
As reported in column 762, in the same debate the Minister said:—
"Now having stated the things that the Irish News Agency is not intended to be, let me state briefly the function and the purpose of the Irish News Agency. Its function will be to put Ireland on the map by supplying to the Press of the world accurate information concerning matters of cultural, trade and general interest calculated to promote tourism, trade and cultural relations. That will be its steady function. When necessary, it will give Ireland's viewpoint on political matters, but only when necessary. It is not going to be a political propaganda machine."
Later in the same debate, as reported in column 844, he said:—
"Deputy de Valera, in effect, said that he agreed with the proposal but that he thought it was unworkable. He said he certainly agreed that there should not be any distribution of what I termed ‘hot' news. I believe I should explain in a little more detail the type of news I visualise as emanating from the news agency. I visualise sending out the kind of news and information not normally covered by existing news agencies."
On November 16th, on the Committee Stage of the Bill, as reported in column 958, Deputy MacBride said:—
"I have no reason to think that the Irish News Agency would in any way cut across the work which is being done by any Irish journalists at the moment. As a matter of fact, I am quite certain that it would not but that, on the contrary, it would stimulate more work for journalists in Ireland."
On the Final Stage of the Bill on November 24th, as reported in column 1454, Deputy Cowan asked:—
"Did the Minister say that there would not be any ‘hot' news in the ordinary sense?"
And Deputy MacBride answered:—
"Yes certainly."
In introducing the Second Stage of the Bill in the Seanad on November 30th, as reported in column 182 of the Official Reports of the Seanad, Deputy MacBride said:—
"In the second place, the news agency is not intended to enter the field of what I described in the Dáil as ‘hot' news competition. There was a good deal of play made in the Dáil as to what I meant by ‘hot' news. The term is understood in newspaper circles in America. It is not intended to cover such things as accidents, crimes, court trials, racing, stock exchange reports, or even debates in the Oireachtas."
In other words, he gave a most emphatic undertaking both in this House and in the Seanad that the Irish News Agency would not enter into competition with the ordinary journalist in the exercise of his profession. Notwithstanding that solemn undertaking, we have over the past year growing evidence that the Irish News Agency is actually competing with journalists in supplying news to Irish newspapers. To-day, Deputies received a copy of a resolution passed unanimously by the Oireachtas Press Gallery as follows:—
"This special general meeting of the Oireachtas Press Gallery, held on Wednesday, November 21st, places on record its grave concern at the Irish News Agency's unfair and unjust competition with Irish journalists in the reporting of home news and sport and the supplying of news pictures and features. This is a serious violation of the assurance given to the Dáil and Seanad by Mr. MacBride, the then Minister for External Affairs, when the agency Bill was passing through the Oireachtas, to the effect that the agency would not engage in the reporting or distribution of ‘hot' news, or in any activities prejudicial to the interests and livelihoods of Irish journalists. As taxpayers, whose money helps to finance its operations, we consider it most inequitable that a State-sponsored organisation should operate against journalists in this way. We view with alarm the Irish News Agency's steady encroachment on the day-to-day professional work of Irish newspapermen, and strongly urge that the agency should be confined to activities of a character not harmful to Irish working journalists. That copies of this resolution be sent to the Taoiseach, the Minister for External Affairs, the Minister for Finance, and to all members of the Oireachtas."
It is quite clear that the Irish News Agency is not carrying out the function that it was intended to carry out, or, rather, that it is overstepping that function and, by its activities, is violating the undertaking solemnly given to this House by Deputy MacBride and on the strength of which this House enacted the Irish News Agency Bill.
Two very grave issues are raised by the action of the Irish News Agency. The first is that Irish taxpayers who engage in the profession of journalism, which is not, I think, a very secure profession, but rather one of considerable hazard and risk, find themselves up against competition from a State-sponsored organisation financed out of public money. Journalism is to-day private enterprise in the truest sense of that word and all these journalists have to contribute as taxpayers to the finances of the Irish News Agency, an agency which is apparently crushing them out of existence.
I am informed that newspaper offices have been inundated with news of every kind supplied to them by this agency. Not only have they been supplied with news but they have also been supplied with pictures. Stacks of pictures have been sent to newspaper offices in the city. I presume the taking of these pictures is financed out of public money voted by this House. To me that appears to be altogether wrong.
I do not intend to go deeply into this matter and I appreciate the information given by the Minister to-day at Question Time, that a conference is about to be held between the journalists and the Irish News Agency. We all hope good results will accrue from that conference but we have no guarantee as to what the results will be. We know that the Dublin branch of the Irish Journalists' Association has been endeavouring for some time to meet the Irish News Agency and discuss the matter. I do not think it was very courteous of the agency to refuse to meet those journalists.
There is a second issue of grave import in relation to the growth and development of this particular organisation. If the supplying of news to Irish newspapers by this agency continues and if it continues also to be financed out of public moneys the ordinary journalist will be put out of business. The net result will be that the newspapers will be solely dependent upon this State controlled agency for their supply of news. That could be a very serious and a very dangerous position if it were allowed to develop. The Press would be submerged and the supply of news to our newspapers would be canalised through this authority. There is grave danger there. News can always be coloured, but I will not go into that now. I do not think the Irish News Agency has impressed itself on the people as being very fair in the presentation of news. We all remember how an event in my constituency in a place called Baltinglass was distorted by the Irish News Agency.
It is not in order that Baltinglass should be mentioned. If the Deputy will allow us to reply, that will be all right.
I will not deal with it except to say that the news was completely distorted and certain small farmers were deliberately libelled by a reporter sent by the Irish News Agency.
The Deputy had better keep to the question.
I think the same reporter in recent months, having gone from Baltinglass to Limerick, discovered leprechauns in the fields down there and advertised them to the world. I merely mention that to show that this is not an agency in which we could put such implicit confidence as to put out of business scores of independent journalists who have a long tradition behind them and who guarantee to the community the presentation of every viewpoint and the accurate and fair reporting of every fact.
I think this is a dangerous organisation now because of the way in which it has developed. I hope some good will come out of the conference. If good does not ensue, the responsibility will rest on the Minister to take action to ensure that this monster created by his predecessor, perhaps without the present Minister's support, will not be allowed to destroy the cream of the Press in this country.
I am sorry that the good case that Deputy Cogan made at the outset should have been spoiled towards the end by his own effort to smear it. When the Irish News Agency Bill was introduced it was on the clear understanding that that agency would not enter into direct competition with the staffs of our Irish newspapers or do the work which can be done and is being done by Irish journalists. That was the intention of the Government. That was the intention declared here and if there was any question of the Irish News Agency coming into direct competition with the staffs of Irish newspapers or Irish journalists not only would the Bill not have been passed by the House but it would never have been introduced by the Government.
Speaking for this side of the House, if the Irish News Agency is, as is alleged by Deputy Cogan and by the resolution passed by the journalists' association, in direct competition then it is indulging in something in which it was never intended it should indulge. If the agency is in direct competition direct instructions should be given by the Minister to that body to stop that particular activity.
If the agency is not able to find enough to do over and above what can be done and is being done by Irish journalists, then the Irish News Agency should be brought to an end. It was created for a certain purpose. It was certainly not created for the purpose set out in the question to-day. I think most of us felt that there was very useful work which the agency could do, work which was not being done and could not be done by Irish journalists. In so far as coming into direct competition with Irish journalists is concerned, the agency was certainly never created for that purpose and if it is indulging in that work it ought not to be allowed to continue.
On the point that Deputy Morrissey has made as to what the the objects of the news agency were in the opinion of the previous Government, I think the only thing we can go upon is the written record, and the memorandum and articles of association. These, which were drafted and signed and put out by various civil servants who held shares on behalf of the Government state:—
"1. The name of the company is ‘The Irish News Agency.'
2. The registered office of the company will be situate in Ireland.
3. The objects for which the company is established are the following:—
(1) To carry on the business of a news agency in all its branches and to ensure the collection, dissemination, distribution and publication of news, intelligence and photographs inside and outside Ireland, and for these purposes to use any telephone, telegraph or wireless system or any other means of communication."
In view of that section in the memorandum of association, I do not know how Deputy Morrissey could make the speech which he has just made. Apart from that, that is the law on the matter, and if the Government did not know it was the law it was about time they got out.
Tell us what you are going to do now.
That was the law. It was started to collect and disseminate news inside and outside of Ireland—news and photographs.
That is the articles of association.
If the Deputy was asleep for three years, I am glad that he has wakened up at last.
Tell us what you are going to do.
That is what I am doing, and would have done before now but that Deputy Morrissey intervened with his particular contribution to the debate. Now, I am in a difficulty. I do not want to say anything here to-night that would in any way interfere with the talks which, I hope, will be embarked upon between the directors of the Irish News Agency, on the one hand, and the journalists' union on the other. Ever since we became the Government I have had various complaints from individuals about the operations of the news agency. When I got these complaints I referred them to the directors of the news agency and I also asked those who were complaining to take the matter up with the news agency. There are complaints in growing volume from some journalists' unions and from journalists. I am glad, however, to hear that very shortly some of their representatives are going to meet the directors of the news agency.
Now on one side you have the complaint from a certain section that the news agency is operating to jeopardise the livelihood of certain journalists, and, on the other hand, you have a newspaper like the Derry Journal starting that it will have and is having the opposite effect. The Derry Journal of yesterday, Monday, December 10th, in the course of an article dealing with this matter said:—
"The other is that the proposed service to Irish provincial newspapers will lead to unemployment amongst journalists. None of the critics have attempted to state how. The truth is that it will be a great boon to provincial papers which have not and cannot have correspondents in every district, and in consequence miss happenings of interest or importance. Some of the provincial papers have correspondents in the large centres but are unable to cover the small places. The Irish News Agency will do this for them, and supply the news ‘hot' as it supplies it now to Britain, Europe and America. This will be a boon to the provincial papers. Instead of causing unemployment amongst journalists, it will provide jobs for correspondents all over the country."
I want to see what will be the outcome of the talks between the representatives of the journalists who are to meet the directors. The outcome of these talks will be considered very carefully by me in the Department of External Affairs. As I said in the beginning, I do not want to say anything to-night that would prejudice these talks so I hope Deputies will forgive me for not replying to certain points that were made by Deputy Cogan, and to some other points perhaps that were made by Deputy Morrissey.
The Dáil adjourned at 10.55 p.m. until 3 p.m. on Wednesday, 12th December, 1951.