Ireland's state broadcaster called on to avoid "heated, simplistic" Lisbon debate

[CookieMonster]

The Irish Times reports that Noel Dorr, the former Secretary General of Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs, has called on state broadcaster RTÉ to reformat the way it presents information about the Lisbon Treaty in the run-up to the second referendum on 2 October by presenting "extended and well-structured television debates". He said, "I think this kind of structured debate would be very helpful to viewers who genuinely want to know what the treaty is about - and certainly more helpful than the heated, simplistic and confusing arguments across a table with a single moderator which we have seen too often in the past."

Writing in the paper Elaine Byrne notes that Irish politicians have been almost entirely absent from the referendum campaign to date and are instead leaving it to civil society groups to lead the debate on the Treaty. And in a letter to the paper the Irish Friends of Palestine organisation argues that "Ireland's role on the international stage will be reduced" by the creation of a new post of EU High Representative to the Union for Foreign and Security Policy under the Lisbon Treaty.

RTÉ can play 'major' role in informing public about Lisbon - The Irish Times - Tue, Aug 18, 2009
The Irish Times - Letters
Politicians step back as Lisbon campaign starts up - The Irish Times - Tue, Aug 18, 2009

Of course RTE's coverage of Lisbon last time didn't go without comment:
http://www.caeuc.org/files/RTELisbonCoverageReport.doc

[eurosceptic]

I think Dorr has a good idea. It could turn out to be very informative i think. A lot will depend on the panel steering the debate. If they are biased it woudl be a shambles.
The friends of palestine are right. We are increasingly towing the EU line on foreign policy and this will be cemented under lisbon.
Elaine bryne is coming out with the usual hysterical bluster.

[He3]

Eminently sensible suggestion from one of the debate's best participants.

And Elaine Byrne hits the spot as usual:

This time, our political class has stepped back and civil society has stepped up. A number of pro-Lisbon groups launched their campaigns in July under the slogans of Women for Europe, We Belong and Ireland for Europe. So, instead of placing our hope in the political leadership of Brian Cowen, Enda Kenny, Eamon Gilmore and John Gormley, it is now in the hands of Nell McCafferty, Bill Cullen and The Edge. For direction on Europe, we now turn to our sporting heroes Packie Bonner, Robbie Keane and Denis Hickey.

There’s something very deeply wrong here.

[marmurr1916]

I'd love to see you or FT or eursceptic on a TV debate: 'heated, simplistic' and utterly stupid.