RTÉ journalists call for the suspension of Section 31 of the Broadcasting Act.
Broadcasters who are members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) are asking that Section 31 of the Broadcasting Act be set aside for a trial one year.
One protest banner reads,
RTÉ Journalists Say Take The Gag Off
RTÉ reporters, including Brendan O'Brien, spoke to Dr Martin O'Donoghue TD at the gates to Dáil Eireann. Section 31 imposes a ban on proscribed organisations from speaking on RTÉ radio and television services. A letter was handed to politicians as they entered Leinster House on the first day of a Dáil sitting after Christmas. The letter outlines why deputies should vote to rescind Section 31.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 27 January 1981. The footage shown here is mute.
