AN advertisement in yesterday's Irish Times did not do credit to chat paper or to the radio station being advertised, the Leader of the Seanad, Mr Maurice Manning, contended.
The full page advertisement for Dublin Radio FM 104 featured a photograph of the former minister Mr Michael Lowry and was headed: "Look Michael, FM 104 have been extending too!" Its purpose was to highlight the station's growing listenership.
Adding his voice to calls for a debate on the media, Mr Don Lydon (FF) said he had been disturbed by the advertisement, which was really below the belt in the way it portrayed a former minister who was from the other side of the political divide.
"It was really a low, low form of advertising which should not be tolerated," he said.
Earlier, his party colleague, Mr Willie Farrell, had complained that the media had been pre-judging cases "which end up with no foundation, as happened with a member of this House recently".
A number of jury cases had to be dropped because of the printing of photographs and other forms of prejudice, he said. There must be some system whereby accused people could be tried only by the courts. It was time steps were taken to stop the media prejudging cases in advance.
BOOMING car sales were good news for local authorities, the Minister for the Environment, Mr Howlin, said.
Starting a debate on local government financing, he said the power of local authorities to charge for domestic water and sewerage services was being abolished and the rate support grants were being terminated. The income to be forgone from these sources was being replaced by the proceeds of motor taxation.
A study had identified a lack of buoyancy as one of the principal weaknesses of the existing system. This weakness would be addressed by the new system because motor tax income had proven over the year to have considerable in built buoyancy.
NURSING home fees, which in some cases were said to have increased at more than 10 times the rate of inflation over the last few years, should be scrutinised, Mr Sam McAughtry (Ind) stressed.
He wanted the appropriate Minister to provide data on fee rises, which were meant to be controlled by regulations made in 1993.
"Where I come from, in Northern Ireland, the criterion for determining when a person's home would be sold to pay nursing home fees is more savage than in this State," he said.
Mr McAughtry said he wondered whether the reported increases of 66 per cent which had taken place in areas such as Waterford and Tipperary over the last three years were in line with, Government thinking.
The Seanad Leader, Mr Maurice Manning, advised Mr McAughtry that his concerns could be raised in a special debate.
MR Paschal Mooney (FF) asked if there had been a Government back track on the 1966 decision rename certain railway stations after the signatories of the 1916 Proclamation.
The change of names had taken place when the 50th anniversary of the Rising was being marked, he noted. Sligo station had been designated Staisuin Sheain Mhic Dhiarmada in honour of the Leitrim born signatory. Mr Mooney said the station name had reverted to "Sligo Station".
The Leader of the House, Mr, Maurice Manning, said that if there had been a change along the lines suggested by Mr Mooney, it, was a matter for CIE. He would have checks made to discover what the situation was.