asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will make a statement on the outcome of his recent meeting with the RTE Authority.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Meeting with RTE Authority.
52.
Mr. Collins
I met the authority on 23rd June and conveyed to them my views as I had indicated to be my intention in this House on 8th June (col. 1289) and 13th June last (col. 1484). Those views are in accordance with those I expressed in the House on the two occasions mentioned and I do not consider there is any need to elaborate on them.
Can the Minister advise us regarding the reaction of the RTE Authority towards his views and whether he accepts the views expressed by RTE to him? In other words, what happened?
As I have said, I asked the authority to consider the views I conveyed to them. The authority have not come back to me on this matter.
Are we to assume that the RTE Authority have taken note of the Minister's views and that he is expecting a further communication from the authority?
I can assure the Deputy I am fully satisfied that the authority will note carefully my views which I conveyed to them last Friday.
Is the Minister aware that many people still are of the opinion that subversive groups are getting undue publicity even now on RTE? Have RTE or their officials any way to distinguish between Sinn Féin as a political organisation and the Provisionals of Sinn Féin masquerading when it suits them as members of the Sinn Féin political organisation?
The Deputy will recall that I issued a directive under section 31 of the Broadcasting Authority Act to RTE. I do not think it is necessary to read out again the directive but if the Deputy wants to see what is in it he should read it and he will then understand that it is a matter for the authority to ensure that members of subversive groups are not allowed to run riot on our television screens.
Is the Minister aware that there are some elements in RTE who are inclined to say "To hell with the Minister and his directives; directly or indirectly, by one way or another we will get what we want on television?" Is the Minister not aware that they are trying to do that even now and are being fairly successful in this?
If what the Deputy has said is true, that there are some elements in RTE who say, "To hell with the Minister" in reply to this I would say that the RTE Authority are responsible to me and I am responsible to this House. If it is necessary for me to take action, if the directive under section 31 is being flouted, I shall not hesitate to take very swift action.
Can the Minister state what form of action he will take? I ask this purely as a matter of information.
May I ask the Minister if in his conversation with the RTE Authority any lack of clarity in the directive under section 31 was put forward as a difficulty in this situation? Was the Minister asked to clarify his intention or to issue a new directive in more clear terms?
I should like to inform the House that I do not consider it necessary to interpret section 31 for the RTE Authority. I should like to repeat that the directive is clear and simple and it is the responsibility of the authority to carry it out.
If there is a dispute between the Minister and the RTE Authority, if there is difficulty in carrying out this directive because of lack of clarity, which they allege, would the Minister not reconsider the situation and see if a further clarification of the wording of the directive might not help in the situation?
I am satisfied this is not necessary. I am satisfied there has not been a breach of the directive since it was given and I hope my words with the authority may have the effect of bringing home more fully to them the spirit of the directive.