RTÉ last night denied that it had sought to ban a Christmas radio advertisement for the Veritas retail outlets last October because it contained a reference to the word "crib", amid strong claims to the contrary by the Catholic bishops.
Instead, it claimed that it had advised the organisation to seek clarification on the matter from the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI).
This was because 's copy clearance committee had felt it might be in breach of the BCI's advertising code, a spokesman said.
The code includes a "prohibited communications" section which does not permit advertising directed towards a religious end.
"You can't interpret that as a ban on the advertisement," the RTÉ spokesman said.
But in a strongly worded statement released yesterday, following the December general meeting of the Irish Bishops' Conference this week, the hierarchy said it was "concerned and disappointed" that the word crib "had to be omitted from the script of the advertisement before the station would broadcast it".
"The removal of the word 'crib' from the advertisement is both an affront to Christians and belies common sense in the context of Irish society and culture," they stated.
"Whether it is in the editing of a Veritas advertisement, or a creche policy to no longer hold the Christmas Nativity play, or by discontinuing the placement of a crib in a hospital foyer, we are asking Christians to reflect on - and protect - what is the true spirit of Advent and Christmas."
Bishops are also encouraging the faithful to visit Veritas shops and to consider purchasing cribs, books, Christmas cards and other spiritual and religious gifts, it added.
Veritas is an agency of the Bishops' Conference, and is currently running a version of the advertisement on RTÉ, without reference to a "crib", which RTÉ said it submitted after the station had raised its concerns.
In a separate development, a spokeswoman for the BCI confirmed that it had been contacted by Veritas, but had not been asked for its advice on the advertisement in question.
"We haven't issued a deliberation on it," she said. "We haven't been asked to give a view and haven't seen sight of the advertisement."