Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

The code will set the guidelines. It is the job of the broadcasting authority to implement them. We had a long and interesting debate on religious advertising at various stages in the drafting and amendment of the Bill. Concerns could arise if there was no restriction because some religious groups by dint of having large resources could advertise for members. I would find that problematic. It is a strange area in which one has to recognise that there are restrictions. The changes we have made allow the authority greater flexibility in assessing advertising. We have recently seen some high profile cases in which the codes that were in place provided too inflexible a regime. The BCC and some of the people involved in those cases said that the solution we have found should work because it is more flexible. It is up to the new authority to apply it in a sensible and respectful way.

It is for the High Court to appoint and decide how the expert assessor works. There is legal provision for it now and I am confident the High Court will apply this appropriately.