Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I want to ask RTÉ about its coverage of environmental issues. A study published recently by Gluaiseacht analysed two weeks of broadcasts from "Morning Ireland", the most popular radio show in the country, as the witnesses will know. It found that just 0.92% of the show was dedicated to environmental matters.

That says a lot.

I also want to ask RTÉ about the recent programme that was on RTÉ television which was sponsored by Bord na Móna but about which it was not pointed out that it was sponsored by Bord na Móna. How did that happen in that way and how do we know that, for example, an oil company would not sponsor a programme about offshore resources? RTÉ did not make it known that the programme was sponsored, so how do we know that it will not happen again?

Somebody from Met Éireann was on the radio recently and he or she said that we have no way of knowing what effects climate change in Ireland will have. Surely Met Éireann would know about the effects that climate change would have. I cannot remember exactly what programme it was on but are the witnesses saying that it did not happen? If they would like to say that did not happen that would also be interesting. I am nearly certain it was somebody from Met Éireann who was on RTÉ and made that statement. If the witnesses are saying that it was not, then they can do so and we will see what happens.