Greens want daytime ban on toy advertising

Toy advertising should be banned between the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m

Toy advertising should be banned between the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., the Green Party said in a submission to the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) today.

The Commission is drafting a code of practice for advertising aimed at children and has sought submissions from the public. The consultation process ends on Sunday.

Green Party communications spokesperson, Mr Eamon Ryan, said families living in poverty were under "unacceptable pressures" particularly at Christmas from toy adverts.

He said the Commission advertisements for toys and games should be aimed at adult consumers "and not directly at children".

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The party submission said expressed a preference for an outright ban on advertising targeting children under 12 but suggested banning advertising of "certain classes of products likely to compromise the physical health and well being of children" as an alternative.

Such classes would include food and beverages with high salt, fat and sugar content.

Among other area of concern the party the ban should apply to children's schedules and programmes likely to attract an audience of under-12s in the evening such as soap operas.

Last week, the Green Party's Private Members Bill aimed at protecting children from "harmful" television advertising - including junk food - was voted down in the Dáil.