Complaints

Making a Complaint to RTÉ

Under sections 47 and 48 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 all broadcasters are obliged to put in place a practice for dealing with complaints. The Act states that

A broadcaster shall give due and adequate consideration to a complaint . made in writing by a person in respect of the broadcasting service provided by the broadcaster which, in the opinion of the broadcaster, has been made in good faith and is not of a frivolous or vexatious nature. Section 47 (1)

A complaint . shall be made to the broadcaster not more than 30 days after . the date of the broadcast Section 47 (2) (a)

A broadcaster shall prepare and implement a code of practice for the handling of complaints Section 47 (3)

Below is RTÉ's Code of Practice for the Handling of Complaints

Code of Practice for the Handling of Complaints

RTÉ is obliged under Section 39 (1) of the Broadcasting Act 2009 to ensure that

(a) all news broadcast . is reported and presented in an objective and impartial manner and without any expression of the broadcaster's own views

(b) the broadcast treatment of current affairs, including matters which are either of public controversy or the subject of current public debate is fair to all interests concerned and that the broadcast matter is presented in an objective and impartial manner and without any expression of his or her own views, except that should it prove impracticable in relation to a single broadcast to apply this paragraph, two or more related broadcasts may be considered as a whole, if the broadcasts are transmitted within a reasonable period of each other

(d) anything which may reasonably be regarded as causing harm or offence, or as likely to promote, or incite to, crime or as tending to undermine the authority of the State, is not broadcast .

(e) in programmes . and in the means employed to make such programmes, the privacy of an individual is not unreasonably encroached upon.

(2) Nothing is subsection (1)(a) or (b) prevents (RTÉ) from transmitting party political broadcasts provided that (RTÉ) does not, in the allocation of time for such broadcasts, give an unfair preference to any political party

RTÉ is also obliged to comply with the following Broadcasting Codes prepared by the BAI governing standards and practice in programming and advertising.

1. BAI General Communications Code (Advertising)

2. BAI Children's Commercial Communications code (children's advertising)

3. BAI Code of Programme Standards

These codes are available on the BAI website (www.bai.ie)

In addition to above RTÉ also has its own internal Programme Standards and Guidelines which may be found in the "About RTÉ" section of the RTÉ website.

Making a Complaint

If members of the public are of the opinion that a programme or a segment of a programme or an advertisement broadcast on RTÉ has:

. breached a provision of section 39 (1) (a), (b), (d) or (e) of the Broadcasting Act 2009 or

. failed to comply with a provision of the BAI Codes.

they are entitled to express their views. A complaint may be made by email to complaints@rte.ie or by writing to Information Office, RTÉ, Donnybrook, Dublin 4.

A complaints form is available here

RTÉ is committed to responding to all reasonable complaints concerning programme content or advertising which are not considered to be of a frivolous or vexatious nature . It is RTÉ's policy that all complaints should receive meaningful replies which attempt to address issues raised in complaints.

RTÉ is committed to the following:

All complaints received in writing or by-email shall be replied to by an appropriate member of the production team within 20 working days.

Internal Review of Complaints

If members of the public who complain are not satisfied with the response they have received there is a review process available to them within RTÉ. The review will always be carried out by an Editorial Manager senior to the member of staff who replied to the complaint in the first instance. The request for an internal review should be sent to

Head of Broadcast Compliance,
RTÉ,
Donnybrook,
Dublin, 4.

or by e-mail to complaints.review@rte.ie

Complaints to the Compliance Committee of the BAI

Members of the public may complain to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) if they are not satisfied with the response RTÉ has made to their complaint. The BAI will consider the complaint and may carry out an independent review of the complaint and the response the complainant has received. Information on how to refer a complaint to the BAI is available on the BAI website at www.bai.ie or from the following address.

Broadcasting Authority of Ireland,
2-5 Warrington Place,
Dublin 2.

Telephone: (01) 644 1200

Making a Complaint about Advertising on RTÉ

Members the public who wish to complain about advertisements broadcast on RTÉ may also complain to the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland (ASAI). Details are available on the ASAI website at www.asai.ie

Gearáin

Faoi alt 47 agus alt 48 d'Acht Craolacháin 2009 tá dualgas ar gach craoltóir cleachtas a chur i bhfeidhm chun déileáil le gearáin. Luaitear san Acht

Déanfaidh craoltóir leorbhreithniú cuí ar ghearán ... a dhéanfaidh duine maidir leis an tseirbhís craolacháin a sholáthraíonn an craoltóir, is gearán arb é tuairim an chraoltóra ina leith gur de mheon macánta a rinneadh é agus nach gearán suaibhreosach nó cráiteach é. Alt 47 (1)

Déanfar gearán ... leis an gcraoltóir tráth nach déanaí ná 30 lá .tar éis dháta an chraolta Alt 47 (2) (a)

Déanfaidh craoltóir cód cleachtais a ullmhú agus a chur i ngníomh chun déileáil le gearáin Alt 47 (3)

Thíos tá Cód Cleachtais RTÉ chun Déileáil le Gearáin

An Cód Cleachtais chun Déileáil le Gearáin Tá sé de dhualgas ar RTÉ faoi Alt 39 (1) den Acht Craolacháin 2009 a chinntiú (a) go ndéanfar an nuacht go . a thuairisciú agus a chur i láthair go hoibiachtúil agus go neamhchlaonta gan aon tuairimí de chuid an chraoltóra féin a chur in iúl (b) go ndéanfar, nuair a bheifear ag déileáil i gcraolacháin le cúrsaí reatha, lena n-áirítear nithe is ábhair chonspóide poiblí nó is ábhair díospóireachta reatha poiblí, cothrom na féinne a thabhairt do na leasanna uile lena mbaineann agus go gcuirfear an t-ábhar a chraolfar i láthair go hoibiachtúil agus go neamhchlaonta gan aon tuairimí dá chuid féin nó dá cuid féin a nochtadh, ach amháin i gcás nach mbeidh sé indéanta an mhír seo a chur i bhfeidhm i ndáil le haon chraolachán aonair, go bhféadfar a mheas gur aonad amháin dhá chraolachán ghaolmhara nó níos mó, má tharchuirtear na craolacháin laistigh de thréimhse réasúnach óna chéile (d) nach gcraolfaidh . aon ní a bhféadfaí a mheas le réasún gur ní is cúis le díobháil nó col, nó gur dóigh dó coireacht a chur chun cinn nó a ghríosú nó gur de ghné é a dhéanfadh dochar d'údarás an Stáit . (e) nach ndéanfar, i gcláir . agus sna modhanna a úsáidfear chun na cláir sin a dhéanamh, cúngú míréasúnach ar phríobháideachas aon phearsan aonair. (2) Ní choiscfidh aon ní i bhfo-alt (1)(a) nó (b) ar (RTÉ) páirtithe polaitíochta a tharchur ar choinníoll nach ndéanfaidh (RTÉ), le linn dó an t-am le haghaidh craolacháin den sórt sin a leithroinnt, tosaíocht mhíchothrom a thabhairt d'aon pháirtí polaitíochta

Tá dualgas ar RTÉ chomh maith cloí leis na Cóid Chraolacháin arna n-ullmhú ag BAI a rialóidh caighdeáin agus cleachtais i gcláir agus i bhfógraíocht.

1. Cód Cumarsáide Ginearálta BAI (Fógraíocht)
2. Cód Cumarsáid Tráchtála Leanaí BAI (fógraíocht leanaí)
3. Cód Caighdeán Clár BAI Tá na cóid sin ar fáil ar láithreán gréasáin an BAI ag (www.bai.ie)
Ina theannta an mhéid sin thuas tá a gCaighdeáin agus Treoirlínte inmheánacha féin ag RTÉ agus tá siad ar fáil sa mhír "About RTÉ" ar láithreán gréasáin RTÉ.

Gearán a Dhéanamh

Más é tuairim daoine sa phobal:

. gur sháraigh clár nó píosa de chlár nó fógra a craoladh ar RTÉ foráil d'Alt 39 (1) (a), (b), (d) nó (e) den Acht Craolacháin nó
. gur mainníodh cloí le foráil de chuid Chóid an BAI.

tá siad i dteideal a gcuid tuairimí a chur in iúl. Is féidir gearán a dhéanamh ar ríomhphost chuig complaints@rte.ie nó trí scríobh chuig Oifig Eolais, RTÉ, Domhnach Broc, Baile Átha Cliath 4. Tá foirm do ghearáin ar fáil anseo (nasc)

Tá RTÉ tiomanta freagra a thabhairt ar gach gearán réasúnach maidir le hábhar clár nó le fógraíocht nach meastar gur ábhar suaibhreosach nó cráiteach é. Is é polasaí RTÉ gur chóir go dtabharfaí freagraí a mbíonn brí leo ar gach gearán agus go ndéanfaidh iarracht aghaidh a thabhairt ar na ceisteanna faoi leith a a ardaítear i ngearán .

Tá RTÉ tiomanta don méid seo a leanas:
I gcás gach gearán a fhaightear i bhfoirm scríofa nó ríomhphoist tabharfaidh comhalta cuí den fhoireann léiriúcháin freagra air laistigh de 20 lá oibre. Athbhreithniú Inmheánach ar Ghearáin Mura mbeidh daoine sa phobal a dhéanann gearán sásta leis an bhfreagra a bheidh faigthe acu tá próiseas athbhreithnithe ar fáil laistigh de RTÉ. Is Bainisteoir Eagarthóireachta a bheidh sinsearach ar an gcomhalta foirne a thug freagra ar an ngearán an chéad uair a dhéanfaidh an t-athbhreithniú. Ba chóir iarratas ar athbhreithniú inmheánach a sheoladh chuig
Ceannasaí Comhlíonta Craolacháin
RTÉ,
Domhnach Broc,
Baile Átha Cliath 4.
nó ar ríomhphost chuig complaints.review@rte.ie

Gearáin chuig Coiste Comhlíonta BAI

Féadfaidh daoine sa phobal gearáin a dhéanamh chuig Údarás Craolacháin na hÉireann (BAI) mura mbeidh siad sásta leis an bhfreagra a bheidh tugtha ag RTÉ ar a ngearán. Breithneoidh an BAI an gearán agus d'fhéadfaí athbhreithniú neamhspleách a dhéanamh ar an ngearán agus ar an bhfreagra a fuair an gearánach. Tá eolas faoin tslí le gearán a chur ar aghaidh chuig BAI ar fáil ar láithreán gréasáin BAI ag www.bai.ie nó ón seoladh seo a leanas.
Údarás Craolacháin na hÉireann,
2-5 Plás Warrington,
Baile Átha Cliath 2
Teileafón: (01) 644 1200

Gearán a dhéanamh maidir le Fógraíocht ar RTÉ

Féadfaidh daoine den phobal ar mian leo gearán a dhéanamh faoi fhógraí a chraoltar ar RTÉ gearán a dhéanamh chomh maith chuig an Údarás Caighdeán Fógraíochta d'Éirinn (ASAI). Tá sonraí ar fáil ar láithreán gréasáin an ASAI ag www.asai.ie