A converted lorry takes to the roads of Ireland to bring the public information about the European Economic Community.
The EEC Roadshow has been launched to inform the public about the European Economic Community and the direct elections to the European Parliament.
For the next three months, this colourful truck will be a familiar sight in our towns and cities.
The project was officially launched by Fine Gael European Commissioner Richard Burke, accompanied by political leaders from the main Irish political parties, who have already begun their campaigns for the elections to the European Parliament.
The EEC office in Dublin is hoping that the roadshow will arouse public interest in the European elections due to take place in 1979. Inside the truck, members of the public can watch a slideshow and study a series of information panels outlining how EEC institutions relate to one another. The information is also available in free booklets. This EEC Roadshow campaign is costing the EEC around £20,000.
Richard Burke believes that the Irish people are already very politically engaged and the Roadshow will serve to reinforce this interest.
The Irish public opinion is very politically conscious of parliaments and political matters.
The first stop for The EEC Roadshow was Stillorgan Shopping Centre in County Dublin.
From this truck, EEC officials will be dispensing advice about the direct elections to the European Parliament and they'll be trying to give people a basic understanding of how the EEC works.
According to Neville Keery of the European Commission's Press and Information Office
We're concerned enough about information about the community to go to every county in Ireland, to be seen, to offer basic education and information.
Mr Keery is interested in establishing a distinction between the roles of the European Commission, the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament.
'PM' spoke to members of the public to find out what they known about the EEC and to get their reaction to the Roadshow and the information on offer.
I found it very simple, informative and easily understood.
This episode of 'PM' was broadcast on 4 July 1978.
'PM' was a magazine series reporting on aspects of Irish life with interludes for music from Irish performers.
'PM' first began on Tuesday, 20 September 1977 and was initially aired three nights a week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 7.00pm on RTÉ 1.
The original presenters John O'Donoghue, Áine O'Connor, Nicholas Coffey and Doireann Ní Bhriain were later joined by Pat Kenny.
As editor Noel Smyth sees it, the Tuesday programme will consist mainly of film reports on topical events anywhere in Ireland, the Wednesday edition will concentrate on studio discussions, and the Thursday programme will be in Irish, with just as wide a brief as the other two.
(RTÉ Guide, 16 September 1977, Vol.1, No.37, p.18)
'PM' ran until Thursday, 12 April 1979.
