Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the delegation from RTE. We are reviewing a report by RTE and the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland on the "The Frontline" programme conducted to elect the President of the Republic of Ireland. No greater honour can be bestowed on anyone than to be elected Head of State of the Republic of Ireland. The programme and report reveal extreme shortcomings. Mr. Morrison and Mr. Carson spoke to the teams, checked the notebooks and spoke to the staff. The referee on the night was Pat Kenny. Do they find it odd that he was not asked for his opinion on what happened on the floor of the programme? It is like a football match where one interviews the water carriers, sideline people and umpires but forgets to interview the referee.

I hope that in trying to answer the committee's questions, RTE will not refer to the weather because the weather has an adverse effect on many occupations, none more so than this year. I do not think RTE was baling silage on 24 October. Surely the delegation will not come up with the junior infants'-style excuse that the weather had something to do with the carrying of the programme. RTE is a television station in existence for over 50 years that is supposed to be at the top of its game in respect of technology. An RTE delegation gave the committee its expertise in respect of SAORVIEW. It is not acceptable or believable to imagine that the Irish people would believe that RTE could not verify a tweet live on air or explain it the next morning or in any of the reports. The report has not clearly stated who sanctioned the fake tweet. Who decided not to include the corrective tweet? The argument has been made that communication broke down. RTE is a serious broadcaster of long standing and I do not accept this argument.

The delegation spoke about how seriously it takes public broadcasting. It faces two major issues this year relating to "Prime Time" and this edition of "The Frontline". There is considerable scrutiny of what is going on in RTE. There should be an independent audit of a range of programmes going back over the years instead of a report by RTE. Such an independent report would examine programmes going back ten, 15 or 20 years to see whether an agenda exists in RTE. A perception exists among people on that particular edition of "The Frontline" that an agenda existed on that night and this argument has not be disproved.

It is not longer acceptable for RTE to decide the format of televised election and referenda debates. We should be looking for an independent commission to decide on the format of these debates. Election to any public office is an honour in any republic and it cannot be besmirched by shabby programming or excuses relating to weather. It is not acceptable. The only way to go is to have an independent broadcasting commission for all debates on elections. RTE is the State broadcaster paid for by the licence fee. In a republic, the aim is for the State broadcaster to be independent but RTE standards in respect of this programme left much to be desired.