Parents tend to regard official movie classifications as too strict rather than too lenient, according to new research published by the Irish Film Censor's Office. Joe Humphreys reports.
The survey also found that children viewing drug use in films was the main concern of parents.
Some 41 per cent of parents surveyed on their children's film, video and DVD viewing habits said the 12PG classification - which demands that children aged under 12 be accompanied by an adult - was "sometimes or often" too strict. A quarter of respondents felt the classification was not strict enough.
The Film Censor, Mr John Kelleher, said he was considering relaxing certain classifications in light of the findings.
In particular, he said he was looking at introducing a new classification of 16, prohibiting viewing by those under that age, to bridge the gap between two existing classifications of 15PG and 18. Mr Kelleher said there were "quite a few films we reluctantly gave 18 to", citing The Girl Next Door as an example of one recent release which would have got a 16 classification had one been available.
Speaking at the publication of the survey yesterday, the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, said he was one of those parents who believed the 12PG classification was "a bit too liberally" applied, adding that he couldn't see why an 11-year-old shouldn't be allowed to watch the latest Disney release The Alamo on his or her own.
In a separate development, the Minister announced plans to introduce legislation giving the censor's office a "new orientation", and possibly a new name, to reflect is advisory and information-giving role.
He said he was also examining the possibility of extending the office's remit to include the classification of video games, which were exempt from the Censorship of Films Acts, 1923-92, and the Video Recordings Acts, 1989.
More than 250 parents were surveyed for the Lansdowne Market Research study, which was published to coincide with the launch of a new advisory website on movie classifications: www.ifco.ie
Some 93 per cent of respondents said they regularly checked the classification rating before allowing their children to watch a movie.
The primary content concern of parents was drug-taking, followed by violence, racial references and under-age drinking. Cigarette smoking, nudity and swearing or strong language were of least concern.
Most respondents believed it was "the overall context and underlying messages" of a film that should form the basis for classification rather than individual scenes. Most also expressed satisfaction with IFCO's classification regime, although a majority of those who disagreed with the classifications felt they were too strict.
Some 26 per cent of all respondents felt the PG classification was too strict, and 45 per cent found the 15PG classification too strict. Some 17 per cent and 38 per cent respectively felt the two classifications too lenient.
The IFCO certified 213 feature films and 6,504 videos and DVDs last year. No movies and just 16 videos were banned.
Mr McDowell said he was much more concerned about what children were exposed to on the Internet than in multiplex cinemas.
However, he said, "I don't think there is much you can do in relation to the Internet because by definition it is a very open medium."
Emphasising the importance of parental control, he said, "It isn't for Government to control or regulate access to the Internet."