asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs why the news bulletins broadcast from Radio Éireann on Friday, 24th October, in dealing with the by-election in North West Dublin only mentioned the name of the Fianna Fáil candidate and if he will take steps to ensure that the station is not used in this manner during the campaign as an instrument of Party propaganda.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - By-Election Broadcast.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will quote the extract from the morning news bulletin of 24th October, 1952, from Radio Éireann which announced that the writ had been issued for the by-election in Dublin North-West and gave the name of one of the candidates.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to reply to Questions Nos. 40 and 41 together.
The following is the quotation Deputy Costello asked for:—
"The Dáil, on the motion of Mr. Dillon, directed the issue of a writ for a by-election in Dublin North-West to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Alderman Alfred Byrne, Junior.
It was announced last night that Senator A. Clarkin, Lord Mayor of Dublin, has been selected as the Fianna Fáil candidate to contest the election in that constituency."
The name of the Fianna Fáil candidate was announced officially on October 23rd and was broadcast on the 24th at the end of the announcement about the issue of the writ. The name of the second candidate was obtained officially by the station for the first time at 5.30 p.m. on the 25th and the name was announced in the 6.30 p.m. and 10.10 p.m. bulletins that evening. The station announces the names of any candidates as soon as they are available officially and there was no question whatever of Party discrimination.
Is the Minister seriously suggesting that Radio Éireann station did not know that Alderman Tom Byrne was a candidate before the writ was moved because every newspaper knew it and everybody else in the whole city knew it?
The information was not conveyed officially. The station is most careful to await official announcements of that kind. The names of the other candidates were announced as soon as they were available.
A complete fake.