RTÉ is taking legal advice on whether it can provide live television coverage of the the Sinn Féin Ardfheis on Saturday, March 5th, given the proximity of the conference to the by-elections in Kildare and Meath the following week.
Senior RTÉ sources told The Irish Times last night that it was unprecedented for by-elections to be held on dates so close to a scheduled ardfheis and it was on this basis that the organisation had sought legal opinion on the matter.
It is understood that other political parties had expressed concern that televised coverage of the ardfheis on the week before the by-elections could give an unfair advantage to Sinn Féin candidates.
RTÉ sources said they were expecting to receive the legal opinion within the next few days and to make a decision on the televising of the ardfheis by the middle of the week.
Sinn Féin had opted for one hour's live coverage of the ardfheis between 5.00 p.m. and 6.00 p.m. on March 5th.
An agreement on televising the event had been reached with RTÉ about three months ago, some time before the dates for the by-elections had been decided.
