SEANAD REPORT:REFERENCE WAS made to a recent Late Late Show when a member of Government said that the fate of two highly paid radio and television presenters in Britain provided a lesson which must be applied in this country.
Noting the controversy embroiling British broadcasters Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand, Labhrás Ó Murchú (FF) said that recently, in Ireland, there had been on TV and radio “situations which certainly would not be acceptable if we are to reflect the values of the people”. He did not think it was acceptable to poke fun at children with Down syndrome, at Travellers or at the Crucifixion.
“We should step back and realise that it’s not just a matter of ignoring and dulling the sensitivities of the people, but it’s actually a negation of responsibility that action is not being taken,” he said.
Joe O’Reilly (FG) said he strongly supported what Mr Ó Murchú had said in relation to “that outrageous broadcast on the Late Late Show last week”.
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The Government clearly believed it was time to make farmers pay for the IFA’s stance in relation to the Lisbon Treaty, Eugene Regan (FG) said. The Budget, in a host of areas, cut right through agriculture in this country. “A number of measures, such as the farm retirement scheme, are fundamental in maintaining and improving efficiency,” he said.