Harris compares media's role in society to that of rat catchers

SEANAD REPORT:THE ROLE of the media in society was identical to that of the rat catcher and the sewage clearer, Eoghan Harris (Ind) said. He was reacting to calls for scrutiny of the print and broadcasting media.

Alex White (Lab) said there was an extraordinary amount of what he would call opinion and precious little analysis in the media. Members of the House could also be accused of being deficient in this regard.

Cecilia Keaveney (FF) said she agreed there was a need to rein in the media, especially following the publication of a slur in relation to the thousands of delegates who had attended the recent Fianna Fáil ardfheis. It was wrong that media people could publish opinions without regard to their effect.

Going back to his own time in the media, Rónán Mullen (Ind) said politicians tended to give out about the media “when they start saying things that make us feel uncomfortable”. However, he agreed that the media was, in many ways, unaccountable.

Mr Harris said the media had been doing a good job in throwing light on many problems that had been neglected by regulators. The media performed a crucial function by allowing the public venting of anger which otherwise might manifest itself in an incredibly nasty way on our streets.

Members of the judiciary could send out a great message to the general public if they agreed to take a 10 per cent salary cut, Denis O’Donovan (FF) said. In the wake of Brian Lenihan’s call for patriotism in straitened times, the salaries and expenses of Oireachtas members were being scrutinised. The cutting of these costs would be for the benefit of the country. “I have yet to hear any judge . . . putting their hands up and saying ‘we would like to come on board this patriotic voyage and take, maybe, a 10 per cent cut’.”

District Court judges earned double the salaries of Senators and the judicial earning scale rose accordingly. While the judiciary had total protection under the Constitution, he would suggest that, in terms of responsibility to society, an appropriate response be made.