Govt under fire over axing of 'Late Late Show' panellist

12/11/2007 - 11:36:41
The Government is coming under fire today over the dropping of an outspoken doctor from a 'Late, Late Show' discussion on the health service.

Dr John Crown, a well-known critic of current health policies, was dropped from the show after the Government failed to put forward a representative to take part in the discussion.

The Government and RTÉ have both denied that the decision was taken due to political pressure.

However, a spokesperson for Minister for Health Mary Harney has admitted that he pointed out an imbalance in the proposed discussion panel.

Fine Gael TD James Reilly today demanded clarity on the issue, saying people were entitled to know who made the decision and why it was made.

He said the situation appeared to be a form of political censorship, which he described as "a very serious situation".