Calls for public inquiry into RTÉ

NED O’SULLIVAN (FF) urged Seanad leader Maurice Cummins to add his voice to a call for a public inquiry into RTÉ programmes dealing with the presidential campaign and into the presenter “who was a common denominator in both of them”.

Government Senators joined with Fianna Fáil and Independent colleagues in pressing for a fully transparent inquiry into the controversial Frontline programme.

Mr O’Sullivan said he did not think any sector of the media had emerged with credit over the coverage of the campaign. He commended Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar for having the courage to raise the issue of media bias, and he wished that Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte would show the same seriousness in dealing with complaints about the TV programme.

Jim Darcy (FG) said an internal inquiry was not the route to go down. Answers would not have been obtained if there had been such inquiries into Fás or the Dr Neary saga. Ronán Mullen (Ind) said Mr Varadkar had been the first Minister in a long time to identify a particular bias by public service broadcasters. “I also note a tendency in Minister Rabbitte’s comments to let RTÉ off the hook, so to speak.”

Paschal Mooney (FF) said a Pandora’s box had been opened, whether RTÉ knew it or not. Serious questions were being asked about the integrity, objectivity and impartiality of the only public service broadcasting corporation in this country. He did not think that the station’s director general needed to be reminded of his duties in this regard.

Feargal Quinn (Ind) said that confidence in the national broadcaster, which had done fabulous work over the years, had been damaged by recent happenings, and the only way to overcome that was by having an outside investigation.