asked the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defensive Measures if he is aware that a notice under Presbyterian Church Services for the daily Press was offered for insertion under the heading "Kingstown Church, Dun Laoghaire," and that this notice was deleted by the Censor on the grounds that the word Kingstown must be deleted and the notice inserted as "Dun Laoghaire Church, Dun Laoghaire"; and if he will state the grounds for this action.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Censorship of Town Name.
I am aware that for more than 20 years after the township of Dun Laoghaire legally readopted its ancient name, the Irish Times continued to allude to Dun Laoghaire as Kingstown, and to insert notices for the services of the Presbyterian Church, York Road, Dun Laoghaire, in the form of “Presbyterian Church, Kingstown”.
I am also aware that on 31st December, 1942, the Irish Times adopted the suggestion that Dun Laoghaire should be alluded to by its legal name.
I am also aware that it was suggested to the Irish Times by the censorship that the item “Kingstown Presbyterian Church, Dun Laoghaire”, should appear as “Dun Laoghaire Presbyterian Church, Dun Laoghaire”, or simply as “Presbyterian Church, Dun Laoghaire”, as it appeared last week in the issue of 14th April.
In answer to the latter part of the Deputy's question, the censorship tries to secure that places will be described by their proper names.
Then the Minister is satisfied that that is one of the functions of the Censor? He is a topographical expert as well as a defender of the State.
It is an impudent abuse of the censorship powers and everybody knows it.
Does the Deputy want to hold that the people of Dun Laoghaire have not a right to adopt their old name in legal fashion?
The people of Dun Laoghaire have an absolute right and have called their town by the name which they wish to call it by. But, in the opinion of many people, it is not the function of the Censor to tell sections of the community or people what they should call their Church. They believe that that is an abuse of the powers of the Censor and is not a democratic action. It is a thing which I am ashamed to see an Irish Government do.
Will the Deputy tell me that it is the function of the editor of the Irish Times to compel the people of this country to call a town by a name which they do not want to call it? Does he not want to set himself up as a commissar for compulsory English?
Is it the function of the Censor to tell people what they must call their church? That is what it means. The point is that these people were prepared to call it "Kingstown Church, Dun Laoghaire". They do not want to call it "Dun Laoghaire Church". They do not wish to call the town "Kingstown". They were prepared to call the church "Kingstown Presbyterian Church, Dun Laoghaire". I am sorry to see an Irish Government doing that.
Mr. A. Byrne
I should like to ask——
This is not the time for debate.