Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The current Fine Gael-Labour Government entered office in 2011 on a raft of promises, most of which have long since been forgotten. One we can all recall clearly, however, is that of a sweeping cull of quangos. After years of Fianna Fáil-appointed quangos and boards, Fine Gael and the Labour Party were happy to offer the public a solution to something it was turning further and further against. Despite this, in 2014, almost three years after the coalition took power, it does not seem to be doing a great job in following up on this promise, let alone countless others.

When asked about the Censorship of Publications Board in June 2013, the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Jimmy Deenihan, responded by saying the five-year term of office of the last board expired on 9 November 2011 and that the new board was not yet appointed. I am disappointed to learn this morning that the Government is to oppose this Bill. I fail to see any connection between this debate and the one we are about to have on social media and cyber-bullying. There is a very tenuous connection, if any.

The board has no current members; it is a ghost board. It has not had any new members since 2011, yet the Government has failed to get rid of it. It is redundant but still in existence, and it needs to go. We need to perform an exorcism. The Censorship of Publications Appeal Board was established under the Censorship of Publications Act 1946. Under its terms, any person may make a complaint to the Censorship of Publications Board. The appeal board may affirm, revoke or vary a prohibition. Its goal is to protect Irish citizens from literature of an obscene nature. In 2014, given the technological advances since 1946, this is an unrealistic aim. At the touch of a button, we can now gain access to material that is absolutely uncensored. As worrying as this may sometimes be, it is none the less true. Even when the board was operating at full capacity, I could not agree with many of the decisions it made. Some of our most cherished and celebrated writers had their work banned by the board. Censoring the work of the likes of Liam O'Flaherty, Oliver St. John Gogarty and Maura Laverty did a great disservice to those who fought so hard for the cultural revival.

It is appropriate and timely to remind Members of this House and others who may have forgotten about censorship in the not-so-distant past about the disgrace that was section 31 of the Broadcasting Act. As some may be aware, it is 20 years this week since section 31 was lifted. Instead of promoting understanding of the situation, section 31 fostered public ignorance. Censorship helped to prolong the war raging in the North. It not only restricted discussion and debate but also spread fear of raising issues related to the conflict. The order was renewed annually, ensuring that people in the Twenty-six Counties received a totally one-sided view of the war and of its consequences for the whole of Ireland. In the Twenty-six Counties, section 31 restrictions were in force for over 20 years. The effect of this on our historical archives is often underestimated. Section 31 literally interfered with our history, ensuring at the time that people did not know what was happening and even now, people are ignorant of what was happening. This is what censorship does. Irish people in this State were cut off from the experience of their fellow Irish people in the Six Counties. Censorship attempted to silence the voice of republican dissent in this State. There were some comedic moments and I am sure financially struggling artists welcomed the money they were paid to do voice-overs for republican spokespersons. However, those brief moments of comedy did nothing to take away from the serious undermining of public knowledge and the right to public knowledge.

Since that time, Sinn Féin spokespersons have been seen to articulate the needs and demands of the thousands of Irish people whose concerns we represent. We have finally been able to give a voice to the thousands who were stripped of theirs because that is what section 31 did. It muted the voices of thousands of Irish citizens struggling to survive in the North by silencing their spokespeople. This is what censorship does. It goes against the democratic system. All voices have a right to be heard. In that context, I join those voices condemning the imprisonment of Margaretta D'Arcy. The jailing of this unwell and elderly lady for expressing a view that is widely-held among Irish people is a disgrace in any civilised society. She should be released immediately and shame on all of us if she is not so released.

Section 31 was originally instigated by a Labour Party Minister but ironically, it was another Labour Party Minister, Michael D. Higgins, now Uachtaráin na hÉireann, who lifted the ban. The Fianna Fáil - Labour Party Government took office in 1992. Michael D. Higgins, who was appointed to the Cabinet, had expressed his opposition to section 31. The ban lapsed on 19 January and the broadcast media in the Twenty-six Counties were free to interview Sinn Féin spokespeople. Many Members of the Dáil 20 years ago would never have believed that today, in 2014, voices that were banned from broadcasting would now be representing Irish people in this very House. I, for one, am glad that we are.

We in Sinn Féin believe in a real republic where all citizens are equal. We do not believe that some voices are more important than others. We believe in the right of every voice to be heard. There is no place in this society for censorship of any kind. There is certainly no place for a board which has no members. I welcome the Bill and my party will support it.

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