asked the Minister for Finance the number of obscene or pornographic videos and magazines which were seized by the Customs and Excise authorities in each of the last three years; the criteria which are used to define these items as pornographic; if he will give a breakdown of the methods of importation of these items, that is, whether they are (a) carried by individuals, (b) imported in container loads or (c) imported by other methods of transport; the number of prosecutions which resulted from these seizures; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Seizure of Obscene or Pornographic Material.
141.
Records are not maintained in such a manner as would enable all the information requested by the Deputy to be given. However, details available from records are as follows:
Number of obscene or pornographic video tapes and magazines seized
|
Year |
Number of Video Tapes |
Number of Magazines |
|
1986 |
960* |
8,500* |
|
1987 |
750* |
6,500* |
|
1988 |
244 |
5,837 |
* Estimate.
Video tapes and magazines are regarded as pornographic or indecent if they contain material which is suggestive of or inciting to sexual immorality or unnatural vice or likely in any other similar way to corrupt or deprave. Certain periodicals are also the subject of prohibition orders made by the Censorship of Publications Board pursuant to the Censorship of Publications Acts.
The available details of methods of importation of items seized in 1988 are as follows:
|
Video Tapes |
Magazines |
|
|
(a) carried by individuals |
16 |
496 |
|
(b) imported by container loads |
17 |
100 |
|
(c) imported by other methods of transport, i.e. parcel post |
166 |
1,182 |
There have been no prosecutions as a result of seizures of obscene or pornographic video tapes and magazines for the years 1986 to 1988, inclusive.