A Labour senator and former RTE journalist has blamed politicians for the "dreary" and "abysmal" coverage of the Oireachtas on RTE. Senator Kathleen O'Meara, who herself presented Oireachtas Report during her journalistic career, called yesterday for the lifting of the restrictions imposed by politicians on the coverage of the Oireachtas.
Ms O'Meara said the present rules governing coverage of the Dail and Seanad were "a total failure". Rules such as that the camera must stay on the person speaking no matter what else is happening in the chamber make the coverage "dreary" and at times "unbearable", she said.
Her comments in a statement yesterday follow a series of criticisms by politicians of the Oireachtas Report programme about the off-peak time at which it is broadcast. "However, before they shoot the messenger, Oireachtas members should get their own house in order," she said.
"Oireachtas coverage is abysmal and it is not the fault of RTE and Windmill Productions. Under the rules of the Oireachtas, basic television production techniques are not allowed and it is time to think again. Some of the rules make television coverage unbearable, such as the camera staying on the person who is speaking without any interruption. This makes editing virtually impossible and the quality of the programme suffers as a result", she said.
"I think we should throw out these outdated rules and regulations and start again. I am proposing to politicians of all parties that we give broadcast journalists their own way for a trial period of one year. It is time politicians had the confidence to hand over broadcasting coverage to the professionals and in particular to place our trust in the judgment of public service broadcasters. I am confident that the result will be a lot more interesting for the public than the current dreary coverage politicians have imposed," Senator O'Meara concluded.