Controls on TV debates urged

The way President Michael D Higgins’ election was “undermined” by the RTÉ tweetgate ambush means tighter controls on television debates must be brought-in, Fianna Fáil has warned.

Party chiefs have written a letter to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) expressing alarm at RTÉ’s response to the furore.

Sean Gallagher — an independent candidate with links to Fianna Fáil — was ahead in the polls as a Frontline debate went to air in Oct 2011, but he lost out heavily to Mr Higgins days later after a disastrous performance on the show.

Host Pat Kenny read out a tweet stating that Sinn Féin were going to reveal new facts about Mr Gallagher’s fund raising activities for Fianna Fáil, but the tweet was a hoax.

Fianna Fáil is now calling for a debates commission. In the letter, communications spokes- man Michael Moynihan said a “crisis” flowed from the programme.

“I believe that the time has come to create an Irish Election Debates Commission comprising representatives from BAI, the broadcasters, and the political parties. This commission should come together in each election cycle to agree on the number, location, and format of the principal debates and should have a budget funded from the licence fee which would be used by the broad-casters to host each debate to the agreed standard and format,” he wrote.

Fine Gael chairman Charlie Flanagan has also called on RTÉ to release details of a probe into the programme.