asked the Minister for Communications if he will explain the comments regarding RTÉ Radio 1 programmes which he made at the recent Ógra Fianna Fáil conference; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna-Questions. Oral Answers. - RTE Radio 1 Programmes.
6.
My comments were self-explanatory and do not call for further elaboration.
I want to quote to the Minister what he said on that occasion.
That would not be in order, Deputy. Quotations at Question Time are not in order.
I am in a position to——
The Deputy will adhere to my ruling in the matter.
I have no choice but to do that.
I accept that, a Cheann Comhairle, but I want to interpret the quotation which is ascribed to the Minister. On that occasion the Minister indicated that he was dissatisfied with coverage on RTÉ Radio 1 so far as the performance of the Government was concerned and he indicated that he could not wait for the independent services to come on stream, thereby implying that they would put the Minister's view in a more favourable context. Is the Minister accusing RTÉ of not being objective in their coverage of news and current affairs and, if so, will he specify what instances have occurred that would cause him to make that accusation?
I am sure that members of every political party in this House are all of the same view, that we do not get as much good and favourable coverage of our points of view as we would like. The view I expressed in this House and at the first meeting of the Independent Radio and Television Commission was that it is in the public interest that there should be a diversity of views and that extra sources of news and current affairs should come in as soon as possible. With regard to attacking or in any way criticising the well-known objectivity of the newsroom or current affairs section of RTÉ, that was the furthest thing from my mind. The other part of my comments referred to the amount of talk on Radio 1 at present. As a listener, I can say that I find from 7.30 a.m. to 9.15 a.m. there is news and then until 11 o'clock more talk and then until 12.45 p.m. more talk——
Deputies
Hear, hear.
——and from 1 p.m. to 1.45 p.m. more talk and from 1.45 p.m. to 2.45 p.m. more talk and then from 5 o'clock more talk and from 6.30 p.m. news and more talk. I believe that the people would like a little more entertainment. However, that is just a personal view. I am not a radio producer and do not have any influence in relation to what RTÉ do, but I will not deny myself the right to express my personal view as a listener.
I am specifically interested in the accusation of the Minister that the felt that RTÉ Radio 1 certainly were not reflecting the views of the Government in a way that he would like to see them doing. That is a serious allegation to make against RTÉ who have responsibilities for being objective in their coverage and being partial. In view of the Minister's comments, I ask for the specific instances that have given rise to his making the statements that he has made.
We are having repetition.
What leads the Minister to believe, as he is alleged to have said at the Ógra Fianna Fáil conference, that when the independent broadcasting regime, the national broadcasting station, comes on stream it will give Fianna Fáil better treatment——
Questions are too long.
——than apparently RTE are giving him at this time? This is what the Minister said.
At 50 per cent odd of the polls, really, our actions speak for those who have been listening to or noticing our actions——
The Minister would want to come to Leixlip. What happened there?
——rather than the 7 per cent that the Deputy's party have. The reality is that, as with all politicians in every government in the world, I think sometimes it is not really essential to give all the bad news and none of the good. Sometimes I feel that the balance can be wrong within RTÉ. However, I have not done anything about it. The Deputy could really ask his questions if I had gone in complaining about it, criticising and doing something about it. When I make a statement publicly, he cannot really complain. Have his own press officers never rung up RTÉ and asked if his party could not have got better coverage than they did?
The Minister is the person who has the responsibility.
Order. I am calling Deputy McCartan. Would the Deputy ask a brief question, please?
Will the Minister, in the pursuit of his desire for objectivity in RTE, consider that it would well be served if Government Ministers would agree to participate in programmes and not try to dictate the content of programmes by refusing to attend?
The Deputies are extending the scope of this question altogether.
I am slightly amused at what has recently been appearing on the basis that no programme, apparently, can continue on air unless Government Ministers make themselves available for it, that it is only the presence of a Government Minister that will save some programmes from an early demise. That is a novel approach from a producer's viewpoint, if the Deputy does not mind my saying so.
That is the best excuse that I have ever heard.
Would the Minister not view it that he, as the body responsible for appointing the RTÉ Authority and the independent commission, has an obligation imposed upon him not to make statements of this kind? He is directly responsible for overseeing fairness in relation to these matters. Is it not going beyond his brief for him to make an unsubstantiated claim of this nature? Would he not agree that he should have approached the Broadcasting Complaints Tribunal if he had such grounds? I would ask him to consider either substantiating or withdrawing the comment.
There is a tendency to want to debate this matter now. It is not in order.
I make no apology for my appointment of the RTÉ Authority who, by the way, in my view are doing quite an excellent job.
The Minister has responsibility for both Authorities.