Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland's investigation into the "Prime Time Investigates" programme on Fr. Kevin Reynolds revealed a shocking systemic failure that resulted in the undermining of a man's character and reputation. This is a dramatic wake up call for everybody who believes in the value and importance of public sector broadcasting. It appears from the report that not even the simplest norms were applied. The Carragher report is good, clear and concise and RTE has undertaken to take its recommendations on board. Many of the personnel involved are no longer working with the programme. The board of RTE has assured the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources that it will implement all the recommendations in the report and produce quarterly updates. It has also undertaken to engage in a thorough review to assess the cultural and working environment and the prevalence of group-think at RTE.

I welcome those initiatives, but more must be done. In recent times there has been an intense interest in the media in general, in the role and importance of public sector broadcasting and in media ownership and the consequential interaction between the media and the political world. The Leveson inquiry in the UK has been particularly revealing in that context. Can Ireland be sure that some of the practices and activities that took place in other jurisdictions did not and could not occur here? Notwithstanding the existence of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Communications, Natural Resources and Agriculture, will the Taoiseach consider the establishment of a specific Oireachtas commission to work on these issues and to hold hearings, accept submissions from the public and interested parties and make recommendations to the Government? These issues go to the core of democracy. We are living in a rapidly changing world that is challenging the most basic assumptions we had about how democracies and societies operate or should operate. It is important that the Oireachtas reflects on this and engages actively with these issues through the operation of such a commission.

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