Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 13 Feb 1991

Vol. 405 No. 1

Written Answers. - Television Advertisements Prohibition.

Brendan Howlin

Question:

103 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications whether he has decided on the form of the adoption into Irish law of Council directive 89/552/EC of 3 October 1989 on broadcasting which prohibits television advertising encouraging behaviour prejudicial to the protection of the environment; if he envisages a prohibition on advertising encouraging the public to buy cars, or beverages sold in containers which might be considered to be harmful to the environment; and whether he envisages an effect on the advertising revenue of RTE television or the new independent television service.

Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications (Mr. S. Brennan)

Council Directive 89/552/EC has compulsory effect and will be implemented.

A number of provisions were included in the Broadcasting Act 1990 for the purpose, inter alia, of facilitating transparent compliance with the directive — in, for example, the area of advertising time limits and standards and in relation to the “Right of Reply” provisions. The questions of the need to adopt further measures in the form of a statutory instrument under relevant EC legislation is currently under consideration in conjunction with the Attorney General's Office.

It was not envisaged that the type of advertising adverted to in the question under reference would be prohibited under the clause referred to. In general I can say that RTE do not envisage any difficulties in meeting the advertising standards prescribed in the directive, the vast majority of which are already explicitly or implicitly covered in the code of practice which they have followed in this area for many years. Likewise they would not anticipate any loss of revenue arising from the implementation of those standards.