Vol. 173 No. 1
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will undertake to give to radio owners who are parents prior notice of the broadcasting of plays, stories and other performances such as the play broadcast from Radio Éireann on the night of Sunday, 1st February, 1959, in which expressions (particulars of which have been supplied to his Department) are to be used, so as to enable parents to ensure that children of tender years will not be familiarised with them.
66.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he has received any complaints regarding the use of an expression (particulars of which have been supplied to his Department) in a Radio Éireann play broadcast on the night of Sunday, 1st February, 1959; whether he has in any fashion registered his disapproval of the use of such an expression from the nation's radio network; and if he intends to take steps to prohibit the further use of such an expression in such a context on Radio Éireann.
With your permission a Cheann Comhairle, I shall reply to Questions Nos. 65 and 66 together.
The Director of Broadcasting received one complaint regarding expressions used in the programme mentioned by the Deputy. The admissibility of one of the expressions (a religious one) depends greatly on the context in which it occurs, but on this occasion its use, and the use of the other expressions referred to, was due to a misunderstanding among the persons concerned, and it is regretted by the Director of Broadcasting and myself. Great care is taken by the director to broadcast only such material as will be welcomed in Irish homes, but, of course, late-evening broadcasts are intended for adult audiences and are scheduled at hours when it is not normal for children of tender years to be listening. The question of giving prior notice to parents before individual broadcasts should, therefore, not arise.
