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

From the opening statement, it seems RTE has taken umbrage to the claim that there is bias in some of its news and current affairs coverage, but some issues must be teased out. By and large, for generations the public has bought into and trusted RTE’s news and current affairs coverage. I have issues, however, with some of its current affairs coverage and what I perceive as bias and groupthink within the organisation.

What is the entire process for each current affairs programme? Will the delegation explain how the discussion of an idea for a programme on a specific issue starts right through to who is brought in to discuss it? Fianna Fáil has carried out research on RTE's current affairs coverage in 2010. In the six months before the general election in 2011 it was quite clear that every current affairs programme had a Fianna Fáil Minister and three or four Opposition spokespersons. In the six months immediately after the election RTE told us a programme would have a Minister and only one Opposition spokesperson. While I accept that the Opposition is more fractious since the last election, this is not fair. I cannot justify it other than by saying there was a bias in the period in question. In six weeks of the “Claire Byrne Live” programme no member of Fianna Fáil was invited to appear on it, this despite a significant protest by our own media staff. I have received no explanation, other than that there was an agenda.

Deputy Robert Troy produced an excellent policy document on child care in which he reflected the concerns of the main stakeholders, from parents through to workers. However, when it did a programme on child care, RTE did not find his document newsworthy. Instead, the RTE panel consisted of people who did not have as much information as him. This clearly showed a bias.

What percentage of current affairs programmes are produced outside the greater Dublin region? RTE produced a good programme on rural Ireland recently, the first in a generation that delved into the real issues. Why is there constantly a Dublin agenda in programming? It appears that there is groupthink in this regard.

Who is the producer of the “Claire Byrne Live” programme? Have they been involved in producing other political or current affairs programmes in the past?