Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

----- social issues and religion. The BAI report reminded us that section 39(1) of the Broadcasting Act 2009 requires broadcaster to ensure:

the broadcast treatment of current affairs, including matters which are either of public controversy or the subject of current public debate, is fair to all interests concerned and that the broadcast matter is presented in an objective and impartial manner and without any expression of his or her own views

The Act also requires that the privacy of individuals is not unreasonably encroached on. Clearly I did not study the legislation as thoroughly as I ought to have done while it was before this House. It does not reflect the RTE that exists today. The Act's requirements are honoured in the breach more than in the observance. We have seen many pro-abortion people being promoted on RTE but last week a group of women who regretted their abortions had to take a full page advertisement in the newspapers because they cannot get the same visibility. My own party raised the issue of RTE's bias against us. Members will be familiar with the case involving a "Morning Ireland" presenter who had to be removed because of her lack of impartiality. This occurred following revelations published in a newspaper.