Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

Previously, Senator Mullins and others raised the issue of investigation by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, BAI, into the abuse of privilege by RTE's "Prime Time Investigates" programme when it libelled Fr. Kevin Reynolds. I am disturbed that the Minister's initiative to order an independent inquiry by the BAI's complaints commission has been siphoned off to a former reporter with the BBC. I have expressed concerns about the BAI and its complaints committee specifically. The inquiry will determine whether the Broadcasting Act was breached by RTE. This is a legal question, not a journalistic one. To be honest, it does not appear that the inquiry will be critical of RTE. Given the fact that the BAI is headed by a former director general of RTE, the level of independence and transparency that I would seek in an important inquiry is not present.

I support Senator Bacik's comments. I attended a press conference yesterday——