asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if a statement issued by the National Farmers' Association was dropped from a news bulletin on Thursday 29th September 1966 following a complaint by the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries.
18.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Radio Telefís Éireann News Bulletin.
17.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if his attention has been drawn to reports that a news item was excluded from a Radio Telefís Éireann news broadcast after a complaint by a member of the Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 and 18 together.
As Deputies are aware, programme matters fall fully within the competence of the Authority. Wide publicity has already been given to a statement by the Director General concerning this matter which appeared in the daily press of October 4th to the effect that Radio Telefís Éireann in the exercise of its own judgement and control decided to withdraw a news item from its bulletins. I have nothing to add to the statement of the Director-General.
Can the Minister say if the decision to omit this item from the subsequent news bulletins was taken as a result of a message, directly or indirectly, received from a Minister of State?
No. I am going on what the Director General has already stated in a very comprehensive statement in the course of some talk he was giving recently, which, I presume, the Deputy has read, in which he described it as an error of editorial judgement.
Is the Minister satisfied that in this instance the Authority complied with section 18 of the Broadcasting Authority Act, 1960, which says that it shall be the duty of the Authority to secure that when it broadcasts any information, news or feature which relates to matters of public controversy or is the subject of current public debate the information, news or feature is presented objectively and impartially and without expression of the Authority's own view? In view of the terms of that section of the Act, is the Minister satisfied on this occasion the Authority acted on its own initiative or after representations were made verbally, either directly or indirectly, on behalf of an interested Minister?
I am satisfied that Radio Telefís Éireann acted on its own judgement in respect of what it regarded as an error of editorial judgement. It is a question entirely for it to decide to present a particular news item and there was no interference from me whatever.
It is not suggested the Minister interfered but it is suggested another Minister interfered. Is the Minister aware it is a well-established principle of the democratic system as operated in this country and in Britain that, where a subordinate is responsible either for an error of judgement or a mistake in taking particular action, his superior officer up to and including the Minister responsible accepts responsibility? On this occasion, for the first time to my knowledge, a superior officer has repudiated a junior officer because of his action? Is the Minister aware there is a growing uneasiness at political interference with the presentation of television information?
Undoubted influence by the members of the Fine Gael Party.
This occurred during the Presidential election when the whole presentation was biased in favour of Fianna Fáil. Ninety-nine per cent of the Television Authority are avowed Fianna Fáil supporters.
(Interruptions.)
They are drawing public money for Party purposes. They should do their public duty impartially.
Mr. O'Malley
I did not know the Leader of the main Opposition Party was going to get so hot. On a point of order——
Is it a point of order?
Is the Minister for Education trying to project himself into the succession? He is trying to push the man out before he is gone. He wants to get himself a bit of notice. He is not speaking to the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs because that Minister is supporting another Minister for the succession.
Mr. O'Malley
On a point of order——
The Minister will resume his seat. This is developing into an irregular debate and I cannot allow it. This is Question Time. The question has been asked and answered. I cannot allow this matter to proceed any further.
Can the Minister raise a point of order?
A Minister may raise a point of order.
Mr. O'Malley
On a point of order, which, Sir, after making, you might tell me is not a point of order, is it a fact——
Well, now.
Mr. O'Malley
You have not heard my point of order, Sir.
The Minister in his point of order will ask me about facts?
Mr. O'Malley
Would it be a point of order to suggest——
The Minister must put his point of order directly.
Mr. O'Malley
Am I entitled to ask a supplementary question?
Not with your hands in your pockets addressing the Chair.
I have never known a Minister to ask a supplementary question.
Queer things are happening now.
Mr. O'Malley
Arising out of the Minister's reply——
Is there a split in the Cabinet?
Mr. O'Malley
Arising out of the Minister's reply, I want to ask the Minister is it not a fact that certain political Parties used their undoubted influence to get programmes dropped from television?
(Interruptions.)
Is the Television Authority not 99 per cent Fianna Fáil supporters?
They were put there by Fianna Fáil to be Party hacks and nothing else. One of them admitted it to me.
I cannot allow this to proceed any further.
They are paid out of public funds and are misusing their position.
As one of the questioners——
I will not allow any further supplementary questions on this question. Deputies must remember that this is the sovereign Parliament of the State and this disorderly conduct is a disgrace.
I asked no supplementary, Sir; I ask leave to do so now. I was the questioner. I feel I am being wrongly treated by the Chair. What I wanted to ask is: did everybody hear the Minister for Agriculture say: "I don't deny it" in this House?
I do not deny it. You did the same.
(Interruptions.)
I cannot allow this to proceed.
This is gross abuse of a public function.
(Cavan): The Minister claims the right to do it.
I am calling Question No. 19. I cannot allow this to proceed.
Very serious charges were made.
I am calling Question No. 19.
There is grave concern about the way the service has been run. I suppose we will have to wait for the Taoiseach's memoirs on retiral to hear the full story.
(Interruptions.)
There has been an allegation by the Minister for Justice and by Deputy Smith that I interfered with some news items or some other programme on television at some time or other. I want to deny that and to state categorically that, so far as I and my Party are concerned, we never interfered in regard to any programme or news item.
Nonsense.
On one occasion we regarded a programme on Telefís Éireann as being absolutely biased in favour of the Government Party and against ours. On that occasion I protested afterwards but did not attempt to stop the programme.
That is all I did.
(Interruptions.)
I must ask Deputies to allow the business to proceed.
You got the programme on the Second Budget taken off.
You have all protested.
Question No. 19.