asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs on what basis the present members of the Broadcasting Authority are appointed; and if he has any proposals to alter the method of appointment.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Radio Telefís Éireann.
39.
The present members of the Broadcasting Authority were appointed by the Government in accordance with section 4 of the Broadcasting Authority Act, 1960, and I have no proposals in mind for altering the method of appointment.
40.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the names of present members of the Broadcasting Authority; the date of their appointment; the duration of their appointment; and the fee paid to each member.
The reply is in the form of a tabular statement which, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to have circulated with the Official Report.
Following is the statement:
|
Name |
Date of first appointment |
Date/s of re-appointment |
Expiration of present appointment |
Rate of remuneration |
|
Dr. Christopher S. Andrews,Chairman |
3rd June,1966 |
— |
31st May,1971 |
£1,000 p.a. |
|
Ruaidhri Brugha, Member |
1st June, 1965 |
1st June, 1966 |
do. |
£500 p.a. |
|
James I. Fanning, do. |
1st June, 1960 |
1st June, 1965 |
do. |
£500 p.a. |
|
1st June, 1966 |
||||
|
Fintan Kennedy, do. |
1st June, 1960 |
1st June, 1965 |
do. |
£500 p.a. |
|
1st June, 1966 |
||||
|
Dr. Theodore W. Moody, do. |
1st June, 1960 |
1st June, 1965 |
do. |
£500 p.a. |
|
1st June, 1966 |
||||
|
Michael Noonan, do. |
1st June, 1965 |
1st June, 1966 |
do. |
£500 p.a. |
|
Michael O'Callaghan, Member |
27th Sept, 1966 |
31st May, 1971 |
£500 p.a. |
|
|
Dónall Ó MÓrain do. |
1st June, 1965 |
1st June, 1966 |
do. |
£500 p.a. |
|
Phillis, Bean Uí Cheallaigh do. |
1st June, 1965 |
1st June, 1966 |
do. |
£500 p.a. |
41.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is satisfied that the Broadcasting Authority Act, 1960 contains sufficient safeguards for the independence of RTE.
I am satisfied that the Broadcasting Authority Acts enable Radio Telefís Éireann to carry out effectively its functions of establishing and maintaining a national television and sound broadcasting service. It was, of course, never intended that it should be completely independent but the power of intervention by the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs or the Government is confined by the legislation to a small number of matters in which State interests must be safeguarded.
Is the Minister aware of the disquiet in the country about the amount of ministerial interference with programmes and news on Radio Telefís Éireann, and also of the fact that the Taoiseach last week said he was prepared to stand over every act of every Minister in this regard or any other? Can the Minister guarantee to the Dáil and the country that Radio Telefís Éireann will be allowed to do its work without political interference?
I do not accept any of the implications the Deputy raises in his supplementary question. My experience is that the amount of interference the Deputy refers to has been so exceptional as to make this question completely unnecessary.
(Cavan): Am I to take it that the Minister and the Government claim the right to interfere with Radio Telefís Éireann in the way that news shall be presented and whether a particular item of news shall, in fact, be televised at all?
Is the Minister aware that a protest was sent by Deputy Fitzpatrick to Telefís Éireann to prevent them showing a photograph of him drinking whiskey in Verolme Dockyard?
(Cavan): The Deputy's intervention, Sir, is in keeping with the irresponsibility of the Fianna Fáil Party.
Could the Minister give an answer to this simple question? Is the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs or any other Minister in the Government empowered to insist that a particular news item be deleted from a newscast?
Yes; section 31 empowers the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs to have any particular presentation withdrawn.
I did not say a presentation; I said a news item.
Surely anybody has a right to protest and many have done so, on both sides of this House? I hope we will never reach a time when a Minister cannot make a protest to a State-sponsored body like Radio Telefís Éireann.
Has the Minister the power to have a particular news item deleted?
I have, Section 31 empowers me to have any broadcast withdrawn.
You can, but——
Here is the fundamental question. Does the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs acknowledge to the House now that for any order or direction given by him or by the Taoiseach under section 31 to Radio Telefís Éireann, he or the Taoiseach must answer if questioned in this House? That is the question. Does the Minister acknowledge his obligation to answer in this House for any direction he gives under that section?
Yes; any direction I give under section 31.
The Minister is answerable to this House?
Yes, will be in writing.
And the Minister will answer to this House for it?
Yes.
(Cavan): Before we leave this question, lest anybody take Deputy Corry seriously, I want to put it on the records of this House that the allegation made by the Deputy concerning me is completely and utterly without foundation.
I accuse him of it and I stand over it. He did drink whiskey down there.
If he did not, he would go down in my estimation.
On any occasion when the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs feels that he should send an order in writing to Radio Telefís Éireann for the deletion of a news item, will he place a copy of it in the Library?
It is not necessary.
How are we to know whether you did it or not?
It will be on record. Section 31 gives absolute power to the Minister to withdraw any item for presentation and subsection (2) gives a Minister power to direct the Authority to allocate broadcasting time for any announcements by or on behalf of any Minister of State in connection with the function of the Minister and the Authority shall comply with the direction. Neither of these has been used.
Last week the Taoiseach said it was used and that he had a right to use it.
A Deputy
He did not.
Deputy Cosgrave used it.
Does that right apply to any other Minister?
Section 31 gives the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs very definite powers, but surely that section implies a certain code of behaviour?
Which is not being observed.
I think any Minister has the right to protest and I hope always will. That certainly does not mean that a position should continue until such time as drastic action has been taken. If I felt that something was being presented on Telefís Éireann that was not in accordance with what I believed to be the standard I demanded, I would make it known, without invoking the actual section. I would make it known to the Authority that I did not approve of it. I think any other Minister has the right to do the same.
We have no such power.
Of course you have.
Mr. O'Leary
Where a mistake is made in the deletion of an item and a Minister apologises, will the Minister make known to the House that, in fact, he has apologised?
What is the Minister doing with the Director General and the members of the Commission if he has this power?
I should like to say here that Radio Telefís Éireann have been carrying out a difficult job very well.
Deputies
And they should be allowed to do it.
Complaints have been made to me that they have been leaning over backwards to give the Opposition more than their due share of coverage.
There were six Ministers mentioned on the news on Friday evening, one after another. Tom O'Higgins was never mentioned during the Presidential election.
What a Minister does is always news.
The Deputy will never be news anyway.
If Deputy L'Estrange cannot restrain himself, I shall have to ask him to leave the House. I have warned him.
The Minister——
Is the Deputy charging the Chair with partiality?
No, but the Minister got personal to me. You may not have heard him, a Ceann Comhairle.
I am warning Deputy L'Estrange finally if he will not conduct himself, I shall ask him to leave the House. There must be some order some time in this House.
42.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if Radio Telefís Éireann are obliged by law to act on representations made by individual members of the Government in regard to its current affairs and news programmes.
The answer is "no." However, under section 31 of the Broadcasting Authority Act, 1960, the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs may direct Radio Telefís Éireann in writing (1) to refrain from broadcasting any particular matter or matter of any particular class or (2) to allocate broadcasting time for any announcements by or on behalf of any Minister in connection with the functions of that Minister and the Authority must comply with any such direction.
If the answer is "no", does the Minister agree that it is in the public interest to have a Minister of State ringing up Radio Telefís Éireann requesting them to put on or take off certain news items?
I hope a Minister of State will always have at least the same right as every other citizen to ring up and complain.
"Compel": anybody can complain.
There is no compulsion.
Undue influence in the wrong place.
Would the Minister use the power vested in him to have the news item the Minister for Agriculture objected to removed or altered in any way if he had been aware of it before the Minister for Agriculture objected?
That is a hypothetical question but, looking at it in retrospect, if I thought it would be presented in that way, I certainly would prevent it.