The Minister for Communications ruled out banning advertising on television directed at children, saying it was better to have clear codes and rules regulating it instead.
"The purpose of the codes and rules will be to set standards and ensure that children are adequately protected," Mr Ahern said.
He said the issue of such codes may come to the fore during Ireland's EU Presidency next year.
The Minister was replying to Mr Sean Crowe (SF, Dublin South West) who suggested that, following the licence fee rise granted to RTÉ, consideration should be given to restricting, or even banning, television advertising directed at children. Mr Crowe said that Sweden banned television advertising aimed at children under 12. "The ban has been commended by the United Nations as a good example for others to follow."
He added that people from poorer backgrounds, particularly coming up to Christmas, were under pressure from advertising specifically geared towards children. "There is a crazy situation where children are targeted by advertisers trying to sell products as early as August," he said.
Mr Ahern said that in November he had formally directed the Broadcasting Commission to draw up new codes and rules relating to advertising and for priority to be given to codes relating to advertising directed at children.
He could not, he said, give a timescale as to when its report would be available. In the meantime the existing codes of standards and practice drawn up in 1995 were in situ and would remain so.
Mr Eamon Ryan (Green Party, Dublin South) said that a survey of 200 advertisements screened during the afternoon on Den 2 showed that fat foods with a high sugar content, "the worst products one would want for one's children," were featured.
