asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs (a) the personnel of the Advisory Body of Radio Eireann, (b) their functions, (c) the number of occasions on which they have met since their appointment, and (d) if any member of the body has ever been consulted individually about programmes concerning which he could apply particular knowledge.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Radio Advisory Body.
I give this reply and replies to two other somewhat similar questions on to-day's Order Paper under the letters subdividing the queries in the questions.
(a) The period of office of the Broadcasting Advisory Committee has expired and a new committee has not yet been appointed.
(b) The advisory functions of the committee are to assist the Minister in the conduct of the broadcasting stations and in the selection and control of the broadcast matter distributed from such stations.
(c) The committee met normally about once a month but sometimes at longer intervals.
(d) Members of the committee were consulted from time to time in subcommittees or individually about certain types of programmes on any subject on which they happened to have special knowledge but it would normally be for the committee itself to initiate action about any aspect of broadcasting on which they wished to advise the Minister.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs (a) on what basis the members of the Advisory Body of Radio Eireann are appointed, (b) if any vacancy on the body has occurred since its formation, and, if so, how such vacancy has been filled, and (c) for what period the members of the present body have been appointed.
(a) With the exception of two members appointed specifically to represent agriculture and education members of the Broadcasting Advisory Committee were appointed because of their general knowledge of a cultural or other nature, apart from any specialist qualifications they possessed.
(b) Vacancies occurred from time to time in the committee and they were generally left unfilled until there was a general reconstruction of the committee after each period of office.
(c) The two years' period of office of the advisory committee expired on the 31st October, 1954, and a new committee has not yet been appointed.