At question time to-day I addressed a question to the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs asking for certain information. My reason for doing so was that the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs is responsible to this House for the administration of wireless broadcasting. He is responsible for its full administration and for the activities of the staffs; and, he is also responsible for the manner in which the funds which this House votes to him for expenditure on wireless broadcasting are administered. This afternoon I asked the Minister:—
"if he will state for what reason the appointment of Mr. Patrick Begley, temporary Radio Éireann announcer, was terminated; why he was given a week's notice of the termination of his appointment; if he was satisfactory in discharge of his duties; whether complaints were received in regard to him; and, if so, from what source, and if Mr. Begley was under consideration for permanent appointment."
I further asked the Minister:—
"if he will give the date of the temporary appointment to the Radio Éireann staff of Mr. Patrick Begley; further, if he will state whether he was at the time of his appointment considered the most suitable personand if he passed the necessary tests with very high honours."
Then I inquired from the Minister:—
"if he considers one permanent announcer sufficient for Radio Éireann and if he proposes to make further appointments to the announcing staff; further, if he will state what is the method of making such appointments; and on whose recommendation such appointments are made."
This was the Minister's reply:—
"I do not intervene in the operations of broadcasting unless important questions of policy are involved. I have not, therefore, asked the director for his reason for engaging or terminating the services of a temporary announcer or about the appointment of announcers generally. If the Deputies who put the questions wish particularly to have information in the matter I suggest they should address an inquiry to the director of broadcasting."
I respectfully submit in all sincerity that the Minister is the person with whom we Deputies can have contact in this House. I do not consider that it is either right or proper for me as a Deputy of Dáil Éireann to have to ask for information from the director of broadcasting when the Minister appointed by this House to administer wireless broadcasting is present. It is his job to provide the information for the House. He says he only intervenes when important questions of policy are involved. At no time has there been involved such an important question of policy as in this case. Here we have an announcer of Radio Éireann, a Mr. Begley, dismissed although he speaks Irish fluently, speaks German and French and, furthermore, is fully qualified in elocution. Not alone is he fully qualified for the post but he is an outstanding solicitor. He was educated in this country and has no connections whatever abroad except those made on a short holiday.
Mr. Begley is very well known and a familiar figure on Radio Éireann. His voice was clear, he spoke very fluently and in every part of Ireland, fromthe Donegal Gaeltacht to West Cork, in Wexford, the Midlands, Dublin City and everywhere else he could be heard distinctly and clearly. He was appointed unanimously by a board and on the occasion of his temporary appointment he was recommended by the board as the most highly qualified person in elocution and as the most suitable person for appointment as Radio Éireann announcer.
In March, 1953, the director of broadcasting sent for Mr. Begley and told him that the authorities were highly pleased with him, that he discharged his duties in a very capable and satisfactory manner. After some time he was informed that his voice was not characteristic of an Irish station. In Ireland to-day there is not a more highly qualified person than Mr. Begley and he has been informed that his services were terminated with Radio Éireann because he was too efficient. That was the excuse that was given to Mr. Begley. He was too highly educated and having secured honours in the course in elocution he was considered too efficient for Radio Éireann.
Never before in my experience as a Deputy of this House have I heard of an appointment being terminated because of over efficiency and over excellence. This opens a very important question in regard to Radio Éireann and I would suggest that either some Deputy or some Party in this House should put down a motion asking that a commission be set up with power to send for persons, papers and records, to inquire into the administration of Radio Éireann, because the information I have asked has not been given.
From the time he was told his voice was not characteristic of an Irish station, Mr. Begley asked many times for recordings of his voice to be played so that he would be given an opportunity of correcting any mispronunciations. In every other radio station in the world there is a place names register or reference book but in Radio Éireann there is no such thing as an Irish place names register book. Mr. Begley made many requests to the broadcasting supervisor forrecords to be played so that he would be in a position to correct himself and to comply in every way with the desire and the expressed wish of those in authority. He was always promised it would be done but it was not done and no opportunity was given to him to rectify any errors.
Might I ask the Minister who was qualified in Radio Éireann to judge whether Mr. Begley was correct in his pronunciations? He is the only person in Radio Éireann qualified in this respect. Even the chief supervisor went through no course in elocution.