Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Perversely, the board gives added publicity to books referred to it, while, in practice, it has essentially been bypassed by the Internet. It is a quango that is long since passed its sell-by date. The majority have never heard of the board, although it had long since departed before the Minister, Deputy Shatter’s novel made the front pages. Now it is time to ensure they will never have to hear from it again.

In an age of easy access to mass information, the idea that banning books in an entire country is either genuinely possible or socially necessary seems quaint. For most across Ireland, publications are available at the simple click of a mouse. The advent of the IT revolution and commercial giants such as Amazon and Google has brought a wealth of publications to countless households. While it was once said all knowledge in the world was housed in the Library of Alexandria, it is now contained in Google. E-books cover innumerable spheres of interest, broadening the cultural wealth of the country but also plumbing the depths of bad taste. After all, even Fifty Shades of Grey sold almost 60,000 copies in less than two months after its release here.

This technological revolution occurred hand in hand with a dramatic shift in cultural and social values. The diverse religious views of the population, relaxation of old social mores and diversity of nationalities in Ireland are a far cry from the post-war country where the censorship board was set up. In that immeasurably more traditional country a different sense of values and the role of the State in enforcing these values prevailed. Over the decades that shared sense of what was and was not acceptable has been transformed. Economic growth, demographic shifts, immigration and globalisation have all combined to change how we look at things. The past is a foreign country. Lagging behind this immense shift in Irish society is the aging monolith of the Censorship of Publications Board. A bygone reminder of a bygone time, it reflects a vague set of values on what is permissible without any reflection of the reality of how people access information in their own right. Its continued existence is having the direct opposite effect to what its creators had hoped for. Referring a book to the board has the counterproductive impact of widely publicising a book which is easily available through other routes. After it had been referred to the board, Laura was republished because of high demand.

The story of censorship in Ireland jars with our proud sense of a great literary tradition on this island. Outside commentators have long since criticised what they saw as a draconian regime. The British poet Robert Graves referred to the board as "the fiercest literary censorship this side of the Iron Curtain". Our own writers have wilted under the harsh glare of the literary fireman. The late John McGahern reflected on his own amusement at the idea of a board before finding that it still had a chilling effect on his life as he lost his job as a school teacher under the orders of an irate bishop when his books were banned. In his memoir, he wrote:

We had looked on the Censorship Board as a joke. Most banned books, like most books published, weren't worth reading and those that were could easily be found.

However, on finding his own works banned, he added, "I found it childish and unpleasant, and I was a little ashamed that our own independent country was making a fool of itself yet again." He went on to say, "I refused to take part in any protest on the grounds that it would do the whole sorry business too much honour."

A significant number of books have banned on the vague basis of obscenity by the board since its creation in 1946, when it replaced the 1929 Censorship Act. Currently, there are 274 books and magazines banned in Ireland. This is separate from the scourge of child pornography, which the 1998 Child Trafficking and Pornography Act covers. That Act makes it an offence to possess, print, publish or show child pornography. Current banned publications include Amazing Detective Cases and Daring Romances. Deemed obscene in the 1950s, they would not merit a raised eyebrow on "Fair City" now.

Upon receipt of a complaint from a member of the public, the board has the power to prohibit the sale and distribution of a particular publication. This means that it is illegal for the book to be bought, sold or distributed around the country. Prohibitions may be appealed to the Censorship of Publications Appeal Board. Both the Censorship of Publications Board and the appeals board consist of five members. While the Minister has indicated that he will appoint a temporary board to deal with Laura, the book by the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, both boards have been empty for years.

The internal process behind banning is done behind firmly closed doors. For a book to be prohibited, at least three members must agree with the decision and only one can dissent. If the prohibition is passed, it comes into effect as soon as it is announced in. The ban lasts for 12 years. No details are given or minutes published on the discussion about the merits of the publication. The reasons behind the decision are not uttered in public. There is no open conversation as to why certain books should be banned and others allowed. There is no national discussion on what our collective values are; instead, it is all done in the shadows. The entire process is non-transparent. The appeal process is equally opaque and out of date. An appeal against the prohibition of a book may be made by the author, the editor or the publisher of the book, or - wait for it - by any five Members of the Oireachtas, either the Dáil or Seanad, who take an interest and have the initiative to act together.

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