Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)

I wish to comment further on broadcasting content standards which I believe to be particular to group 7 of the amendments. I shall wait until they are being dealt with.

In broad observation, I have no issue with the principle set out by Senator Walsh - if I understood him correctly - that there should be a high standard of political impartiality and a high ethical standard in the way news and analysis are presented. I have no difficulty with that. I do not propose to comment on the bona fides of Senator Walsh or his observations but in my view RTE and TG4 are discharging their function as public service broadcasters in an exemplary fashion. I am on the road a great deal at night because of meetings, as are all of us who are political practitioners. We are away much of the time and do not see many broadcasts. Perhaps I am missing some programmes that are to the contrary but the impression I have is of a high objective standard. I wish to state that, to be fair. There are times, of course, when we might look on this matter differently. It depends on the programme or the context.

I shall leave it at that for now because I do not wish to delay proceedings unnecessarily.