asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will state the total number of news bulletins broadcast by Radio Éireann between Wednesday, 16th July, and Saturday, 19th July, 1952, inclusive and the number of such bulletins which contained reports of his speeches or other activities.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Radio News Bulletins.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware that in its 10.10 p.m. news bulletin on Wednesday, 16th July, 1952, Radio Éireann broadcast what purported to be a report of that day's proceedings in Dáil Éireann, and that this report consisted entirely of a speech by the Minister for Industry and Commerce, reported at very great length, and that no other Deputy was mentioned in this report, and, if so, if he will state the reasons for this action.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will cause to be placed in the Oireachtas Library for the information of members of the Oireachtas copies of all news bulletins broadcast from Radio Éireann since Saturday, 12th July, 1952 inclusive, and if he will have this arrangement continued until such time as the printing of the Dublin newspapers is resumed.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware that in its 10.10 p.m. news bulletin on Friday, 18th July, 1952, Radio Éireann broadcast what purported to be a report of the inauguration of the rural electrification scheme in Drumlish, County Longford, and that this report—apart from one introductory sentence—consisted entirely of a lengthy report of the highly controversial speech by him and, further, that the speeches, or even the names, of any other persons present at this ceremony were not mentioned in this report and, if so, if he will state the reason for this action.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to reply to Questions Nos. 42, 43, 44 and 45 together.
The number of news bulletins broadcast between July 16th and July 19th was 20. Eleven of these contained reports of speeches by the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs. During this particular period the Minister had several non-political engagements of a kind always reported by Radio Éireann.
With regard to the report of the inauguration of the rural electrification scheme in Drumlish, County Longford, this event took place late at night, about 9.30 p.m., and Radio Éireann deserves credit for reporting it in the news bulletin at 10.10 p.m. In accordance with the practice of newspapers and other broadcasting organisations when dealing with rush copy of this kind, Radio Éireann reported the principal speaker only simply because there was no time to get in more. There was nothing unusual in the report of the Minister's speech. It has been Radio Éireann's practice for many years to report speeches explaining Government policy which are made by Ministers at non-political public functions. It is, of course, unavoidable that Government policy should be controversial.
With regard to the report of the Dáil proceedings broadcast in the 10.10 p.m. news bulletin on July 16th, the Dáil was concluding the debate on the Estimate for the Department of Industry and Commerce and the report naturally consisted of a summary of the Minister's reply to the debate. On the previous day almost the entire report in the news bulletin was devoted to speeches by Opposition Deputies. Taking the two days together there was a reasonable balance as between Government and Opposition Deputies. It is not, of course, practicable to report all Dáil speeches in the Radio Éireann news bulletins.
It has been the practice for many years not to make copies of the radio news bulletins available to the members of the Oireachtas or indeed to anybody outside the broadcasting service, and I see no reason for a modification of that practice.
Formal complaints of a serious character either by way of parliamentary questions or correspondence have been gratifyingly infrequent.
Arising out of the Minister's reply, surely there is a very different case in regard to the placing of copies of the bulletins in the Library during the newspaper strike from what there is in ordinary times, and I would press the Minister strongly to make available in the Library copies of all bulletins issued since the beginning of the strike up to the time when we hope it will terminate.
It has been customary to give the news editor a very wide freedom and if we placed bulletins of political opinion reported in the Dáil in the Library there would be all kinds of criticism. It is impossible for Deputies themselves to judge what a news editor would consider to be good news value. Sometimes two speeches of an Opposition Deputy might have the same news value as part of a speech of a Government Deputy or vice versa. I think, in fact, that criticisms have been very few and far between of recent date. If there have been any there have been one or two from the Government side of the House and I think that on the whole judging by the criticism we receive the news editor can be left the measure of liberty which he has. Everything will be done to have a proper balance of news. Quite evidently the Deputy was anxious in that he thought for some reason or other because there was a strike there was an abnormal number of speeches of my own whereas——
Eleven out of 20 is not a bad record.
——in fact, for about four weeks previous I had only one political engagement and therefore there were no speeches.
On last Monday in the 1.30 bulletin, Ministers Walsh, Ryan and Traynor were reported; on the 6.30 bulletin the same Ministers were reported, with the addition of the Minister for Local Government— four Ministers in the one bulletin. If the Minister is not going to put copies of the bulletins in the Library, will he at least put a certificate from the news editor as to the number of minutes given to both sides of the House so that Deputies can have the opportunity of seeing whether the reasonable balance to which the Minister refers is being continued, because any time I have turned the news on it has always been one Minister after another, both at 10.10 at night and at 8 in the morning?
There was the same sort of criticism during the time of the last Government due to the fact that in this and in all countries——
There was no printers' strike then.
——Ministers who have public engagements are permitted to make statements. The Deputy should be reminded that there has been the Estimate of the Minister for Agriculture in regard to which it was extremely difficult to give even a reasonable summary of the work of the Department during the year even during the maximum time available over Radio Éireann. There being only one newspaper published and all the other circumstances may have given the Deputy a false impression. I can assure him that the news editor is a person of impartial mind and he can be satisfied that whether the strike continues or not there will continue to be a fair balance in the news.
Does the Minister not consider that 11 out of 20 is a scandalous record?
The present news service is very gratifying considering the short time in which it has to be arranged. Should the strike continue, due consideration will be given to everything the Deputy has said in the way of making sure that, during the strike, as distinct from ordinary times, the balance of the news is maintained.
Might I ask the Minister does he really think it necessary to take up the time of the news in three different bulletins with the statement that the Taoiseach opened a bowling tournament?
That is just the kind of thing that might be worth considering if the strike continues.
Or that there was a boxing match here last night?