Vol. 254 No. 14
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if representations were made by him, directly or indirectly, to the Director General of RTE concerning the format of the radio news programmee of Sunday, 20th June, 1971; and, if so, the content of such representations.
167.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs whether he has made any representations to RTE regarding last Sunday's This Week programme.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 166 and 167 together.
As indicated by the Taoiseach in his reply to Question No. 4 today I conveyed his views to the authorities in RTE.
May I ask the Minister if the views were conveyed in accordance with the procedure under section 31 of the Broadcasting Act? Were they conveyed in writing to the Director General?
I am sorry. I did not hear the first part of the Deputy's supplementary question. Would the Deputy repeat the first part?
Were your views conveyed in accordance with the procedure set down in section 31 of the Broadcasting Act, 1960? Were your views in written form or was it merely a personal communication?
My views were not in written form. They were conveyed verbally.
Verbally? May I ask the Minister to whom they were conveyed?
Through the Secretary of my Department to the Director General of Radio Telefís Éireann.
And the Secretary of the Department contacted the Director General?
Yes.
May I ask the Minister the content of such views?
This has already been answered by the Taoiseach in reply to Question No. 4.
Am I to assume from the Minister that the views conveyed by the Secretary of the Department on behalf of the Minister were, in fact, exactly those as outlined by the Taoiseach earlier this afternoon?
That is so.
Finally, may I ask the Minister, before the question comes up on the Adjournment, what the response was from the Director General of RTE in this matter?
That is a separate question.
I think it is highly germane, separate or otherwise. May I ask the Minister if the Secretary of the Department informed him of any response on the part of the Director General?
The Secretary of the Department of Posts and Telegraphs, on my instructions, was simply asked to convey the views which he did convey to the Director General.
Was any reply received?
I was not interested in a reply. I was just interested in seeing that the views that were meant to be conveyed were conveyed.
Surely one is entitled to know, in the public interest, in relation to a particular incident, what the reaction of the Director General of RTE was to these representations? Did he tell the Minister to get lost? Did he tell the Taoiseach to get lost or——
This is a different matter. I understand the Deputy is raising the matter on the Adjournment.
I do not like wasting the time of the House. It could be helpful.
