asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will state the items in the Irish version of the news broadcast at 9.55 p.m. on Saturday, the 10th March, 1951, which were omitted from the English version broadcast at 10.10 p.m. on the same date.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Irish News Broadcast.
The only item in the Irish bulletin which was not included in the English bulletin that evening was one dealing with an alleged refusal to accept a university diploma issued in English.
Am I correct in assuming that the item contained a protest of the examinee taking the examination in one of the extension courses, against the attitude of the authorities to the irish language? Would the Minister not agree that that is a matter of public interest and that to exclude such a report from the English news item was improper?
The Director of Broadcasting thought it better to give persons interested in matters concerning the Irish language news in Irish rather than in English.
Would the Minister not agree that it would be a very dangerous precedent in matters concerning the Irish language that news of this character should be broadcast only in the Irish language? There are many people interested in the revival of Irish who have not a sufficient knowledge of Irish to enable them to follow the bulletin broadcast in Irish.