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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 12 Oct 1966

Vol. 224 No. 8

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Radio Telefís Éireann Broadcasts.

2.

asked the Taoiseach whether he made suggestions to the authorities at Radio or Telefís Éireann following which news items were changed or deleted; and, if so, the number of occasions and the reasons for his actions on all such occasions.

3.

asked the Taoiseach whether he suggested to Radio or Telefís Éireann that certain individuals be not allowed to broadcast; if so, the number of occasions and the reasons for his actions on all such occasions.

Radio Telefís Éireann was set up by legislation as an instrument of public policy and as such is responsible to the Government. The Government have over-all responsibility for its conduct and especially the obligation to ensure that its programmes do not offend against the public interest or conflict with national policy as defined in legislation.

To this extent the Government reject the view that Radio Telefís Éireann should be, either generally or in regard to its current affairs and news programmes, completely independent of Government supervision. As a public institution supported by public funds and operating under statute, it has the duty, while maintaining impartiality between political Parties, to present programmes which inform the public regarding current affairs, to sustain public respect for the institutions of Government and, where appropriate, to assist public understanding of the policies enshrined in legislation enacted by the Oireachtas. The Government will take such action by way of making representations or otherwise as may be necessary to ensure that Radio Telefís Éireann does not deviate from the due performance of this duty.

I do not propose to reply any more specifically to Questions Nos.2 and 3.

It is very difficult to follow the answer given by the Taoiseach, without having had an opportunity of looking at it. I gather that the Taoiseach says that members of the Government have responsibility and that each Government Minister and the Government as a whole have the power to make representations or give directions to Radio Telefís Éireann as to what news items should be included?

I did not say that.

It sounded very much like it.

The Government have, of course, responsibility for the conduct of this State-sponsored body, as they have for every other State-sponsored body, and the Government cannot to any degree divest themselves of their obligation to ensure that——

In the words of the Minister for Transport and Power, they cannot interfere with the day-to-day working of Telefís Éireann.

It has the independence that was given to it by an Act of the Oireachtas.

It does not appear from what the Taoiseach said that it has this basic independence because in his answer he inferred that because the Government had this responsibility, they had the power to interfere if they thought it was for the public good.

The Government have an obligation to see that Radio Telefís Éireann is fulfilling the obligation for which the Oireachtas set it up. There are specific powers given to an individual Minister, the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs.

If any member of the Government thinks that certain things should not be included, have the Government or any member of the Government the right to tell Radio Telefís Éireann that these should not be included?

The Government have the right to ensure that in its news programmes and its current affairs programmes it fulfils the purpose for which the institution was set up.

Right. Then we were misled when the Act went through the House.

Has any individual member of the Government a right of censorship as opposed to a right of reply on Radio Telefís Éireann? Has any individual member a right to say: "Take that item off"?

Yes. The Minister for Posts and Telegraphs has that power.

Has any member of the Government the right to say to Radio Telefís Éireann: "Take this item off"? I concede the right of the Minister to say: "I claim the right to offer a statement in reply to what you are putting on" but has he a right to say: "Take that off"? If he has, Radio Telefís Éireann is a miserable pawn of the Government.

The Minister for Posts and Telegraphs has that power. When Telefís Éireann was being established we had very considerable hesitation in adopting this device of entrusting it to an independent authority instead of retaining it as a service under the control of the Minister responsible to the House, as was the radio service before the Act of 1960. There is, I think, a very special obligation on the Government to ensure that the decision to entrust this responsibility to an independent authority does not conflict with the public interest.

If what the Taoiseach says is true, it means that the Government as a whole can use this instrument for their own purposes.

It certainly does not mean anything of the sort.

Mr. O'Leary

Would consultation be necessary with the Taoiseach before any individual Minister could interfere with a particular news programme?

The manner in which the Government do this work is the concern of the Government and, so far as I am concerned, I am prepared to stand over every act of every Minister in this regard or any other.

Is an individual member of the Government entitled to call on the Authority to remove an item of news which has been broadcast of which they intend to broadcast?

The only member of the Government who has been given that power by the Dáil is the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs.

Is the Taoiseach aware that the Minister for Agriculture made such a requisition and that the requisition was yielded to by Radio Telefís Éireann?

And it was stated in public to be true.

Untrue. The National Union of Journalists stated publicly it was not true.

Have the Government taken any further action in regard to the two recent controversial programmes or is that matter now closed?

That is a separate question.

The Deputy is referring to these political programmes?

And the news programme.

There must be some truth in what Mr. Deasy said.

Is it not true that the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries admitted having interfered with Telefís Éireann in this matter?

So did the Bishop of Clonfert and many others.

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