Broadcasting access for journalists
Eamon Ryan says Communicorp has ignored letters objecting to its exclusion of certain journalists from broadcasts and that committee requests have also gone unanswered. The Taoiseach says companies invited to Oireachtas committees should attend and proposes no amendment to the Broadcasting Bill.
On 14 October, we sent a letter collectively, as leaders, to Communicorp asking that it reverse its policy of excluding journalists from The Currency and The Irish Times from programmes on its radio stations. We got a cursory acknowledgement of the letter but nothing else since. At the same time the Joint Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment sent a letter to the company asking the executives to appear before the committee to discuss that issue. Again, the committee has heard nothing back. Yesterday, the committee agreed that we would set aside a date on 22 January where we would again ask company representatives to come to debate the issue.
I ask the Taoiseach to join me and other leaders in this House in asking the company to respond and not completely ignore the unified view of the Oireachtas in this regard. If it fails to do that, would we consider amending the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill which is approaching Committee Stage in this House? Alternatively, it could be amended in the Seanad. It is not right for a company with the public responsibility that broadcasting brings to ignore the views or the interests of this House in the matter. I would appreciate if the Taoiseach would share his views on it.
