The chair of the Oireachtas Climate Committee has accused RTÉ of polarising and dividing the audience in its climate change coverage.
Brian Leddin, Green Party TD, pointed to a "tendency in journalism to lean into the punch and judy style of politics" in a "chase for ratings", which he contrasted with a "positive output" that aims to inform the audience.
The Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action is examining the role of media and communications in actioning climate change.
Mr Leddin said he would "call out certain programmes", including "Liveline, Drivetime and Prime Time", which he claimed "polarise and divide" in their coverage of climate change.
"If the interrogation of issues isn't fair and thorough, and the outcome is a resistance to climate action, then that's a failure, ultimately," he said.
"If the overall effect is resistance to climate action, then I would say it is a failure of our public service broadcasting."
Tara Peterman, RTÉ Executive Producer of climate change coverage, said that the organisation adheres to BAI (Broadcasting Authority of Ireland) guidelines and its own guidelines.
She said that RTÉ "[needs] to reflect views as they are present in Irish society".
Peter Woods, Head of RTÉ Radio 1, rejected the claim that RTÉ seeks to create divisions, and said he would "answer on specifics" if they were provided.
"Our starting point is not to build resistance to anything but to have a discussion," he said.
Mr Leddin accepted that "we generally do not see false equivalence so much".
In her opening statement, Ms Peterman said that RTÉ has a role in "empowering citizens to feel that they can be part of the solution".
"RTÉ is central to facilitating and hosting" the debate on climate change, she said, and will "stand firm on the science of climate change, such as linking cause and effect" including on "extreme weather events".
Coverage is now "embedded in our programming", she added.
"I find this incredibly frustrating. You failed to answer Deputy Leddin's question and now you're refusing to answer mine," Jennifer Whitmore, Social Democrats TD, said to the RTÉ representatives.
"You've literally spent three minutes avoiding the question," she added.
Ms Whitmore had asked if anyone has considered "banning fossil fuels ads on RTÉ".
She said that there was "quite a large amount of advertising for fossil fuels and environmentally damaging products".
Ms Peterman said that those attending the session were involved in content, and that "the commercial side is very much apart from us".
Ms Whitmore asked if they saw any conflict in one group creating informative programming, only to see the commercial arm "working directly against what you are doing" to "undermine" those efforts.
While she welcomed "a great uptick in the amount of coverage" on climate change in the past two years, she said that as a public media organisation there is a responsibility to "really lead the debate on this".
Appetite for 'solutions-based approach'
Fianna Fáil TD Christopher O'Sullivan said that there has been a "drastic" improvement in RTÉ's climate coverage, praised the "Hot Mess" podcast and coverage of the COP27, but asked if there is much interest in this programming.
"As a public broadcaster I don't think that we can be determined exclusively by ratings," said Colm O'Callaghan, Head of Specialist Factual Content at RTÉ.
"Science and this area is a hard sell," he added. "That's not a good enough reason to not do it."
But he said that "there certainly is" an appetite for it.
"In terms of ratings, it's a challenging area," he said, but noted that RTÉ puts these issues "very, very prominently on our first channel", unlike the BBC which, he said, features climate change on BBC2.
Fine Gael TD Richard Bruton agreed that RTÉ's coverage has "significantly improved".
"I think that what I see is a type of green-washing advertising coming on in the middle of shows that show climate action," said Green Party Senator Pauline O'Reilly.
"You're undermining your own shows", she said, citing the example of ads for hybrid cars.
"You have a big problem if you are not talking to each other in editorial and advertising", she added.
Philip Bromwell, RTÉ News Digital Native Content Editor, pointed to the Climate Heroes series, which has profiled 49 people who are "stepping up" with practical responses to the crisis.
"There is a real appetite" for this "solutions-based approach", he said.
"Climate change is a big, scary subject" that can be quite "abstract", and when you give people hope you see "above average engagement", he added.
Sinn Féin TD Darren O'Rourke said that "there is a search to emphasise the difference, either between parties or within parties" on RTÉ programmes dealing with political issues.
"It's almost like political tittle-tattle", he said, citing "the debate in relation to LNG … and the sectoral emissions debate" where there is "no real debate around the solutions".
