asked the Taoiseach if he was contacted prior to the recent representations made to RTE by the head of the Government Information Services.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Government Information Services.
1.
The answer is in the negative.
Does the Taoiseach not agree that it becomes all the more important in the case of a Government with so large a majority that they should not be seen to lean on the media in any way to ensure coverage for a particular viewpoint? In putting down this question I was not impugning the professional motives of Frank Dunlop. He does a job but he carries out the guidelines set out by the Taoiseach. In view of the fact that certain representations were made to RTE, does the Taoiseach not agree that it becomes more important in the case of a Government with his majority that representations should not be made in this manner?
I do not think that the House can have a debate on this question.
I have asked a relevant supplementary question. There are laid down procedures whereby a Government may make certain representations to RTE under the Act. Does the Taoiseach not agree that these should be abided by rather than this kind of representation?
I want to reassure the Deputy that I knew nothing whatever about whatever representations were made. As far as I know, it appears that an important speech I made that day was reported verbally without what I believe RTE describe as "actuality". I understand this is a picture of the person during the course of making the speech. I believe that on the same night a picture of a Minister of another regime appeared making what apparently occurred to Mr. Dunlop was a less important speech and that Minister received the actuality treatment which I did not receive. As I said, I made no objection. The job of the Director of the Government Information Services is to ensure balance and impartiality.
Surely it is the function of RTE to ensure impartiality, not the Director of the Government Information Services?
If the Director considers that impartiality and balance are not being maintained, he feels an obligation on him to ensure that it should be done. As far as I am concerned he acted on his own initiative and I think he was right to do so if he felt so impelled.
It is interesting to see that the Taoiseach considers he was right to do so. Does the Taoiseach not agree that it makes it all the more important in the situation where the Government have such a massive majority that they should not be seen to lean, even in the most subtle fashion, on RTE 1 or RTE 2 when there are laid down procedures whereby a Government may communicate their opinion to RTE at any time?
Is it not the case that there is a complaints tribunal arrangement whereby complaints can be made if there is an accusation of lack of impartiality and that, in fact, there have been very few such complaints? Would that not be the more appropriate procedure? I recognise that this applies equally to our side of the House as it does to the Taoiseach's side.
I want to repeat again that RTE have their own functions. They are obliged to operate within certain constraints and they have the obligation, as Deputy FitzGerald has pointed out, of maintaining impartiality and balance. I do not think it inconsistent with the duties of the Director of the Government Information Services to help them to maintain that balance and impartiality.
There is a very ominous ring about that.
The Deputy talks about our great majority. We are still working within a democracy and in a democracy people are entitled to express their views to RTE, to me, to Deputy O'Leary and to anybody else.
We will have to reflect on what the Taoiseach has said because it has implications for all of us.
What implications?
That a procedure other than the complaints procedure is appropriate in these cases, involving direct contact and pressure. I can see that such a viewpoint may be held but I think we will have to reflect on the implications for all parties.
As I said before, I did not know that the Government Press Secretary did that on that occasion, but I do not think it was very remiss of him. I think he was entitled to do it if he wanted to. By all means let us have other procedures—and we have other procedures—but if Deputy FitzGerald or anybody else felt he was badly done by in an RTE broadcast I would not object to his making it known that he felt that was the case.
I note the Taoiseach's comments.