asked the Minister for Justice the nature of the information supplied by his Department to the BBC for use in the Midweek programme on Irish reformatory schools.
Ceisteanna—Questions. - BBC Reformatory Schools Programme.
3.
I should explain at the outset that the Minister concerned with schools certified under the Children Acts is the Minister for Education. However, those responsible for producing the programme indicated that the scope of the programme extended to certain matters that are wholly or partly in my field of responsibility and I consented to be interviewed. My consent was subject to the condition that my interview would be broadcast substantially in one piece. A long interview took place but only a fraction of it was broadcast and even that was divided and the excerpts placed in juxtaposition with other material in the programme. An officer of my Department also gave a long interview detailing the expansion that has taken place in the welfare service of the courts and prisons but none at all of this interview was broadcast.
I am sorry to have to say that in my opinion the programme as broadcast was misleading in so far as the services of the State in this field are concerned.