RTÉ has removed a link from its website to a Pride-themed reading guide produced by Children’s Books Ireland, confirming that the decision was made for “age appropriateness” reasons.
In a report published on Thursday evening, RTÉ said the change was made after a link on its RTÉ KIDS Book Club page directed readers to a Children’s Books Ireland resource containing more than 100 LGBTQ+ themed book recommendations for young people aged between 0 and 18.
The broadcaster said the RTÉ KIDS Book Club article itself, which was authored by Children’s Books Ireland and aimed at children aged between two and 12, remains online and continues to feature six book recommendations suitable for that age group.
RTÉ said the article had been edited after publication to remove a link at the end directing readers to the Children’s Books Ireland website, where the organisation’s “Read with Pride Guide” is hosted.
Explaining the decision, the broadcaster said the link was removed to ensure “the age appropriateness of resources for the RTÉ KIDS audience profile of up to 12 years old.”
RTÉ also stressed that it had not featured the controversial book “What’s the T?” by transgender author Juno Dawson, which appears on the wider Children’s Books Ireland reading list and is recommended for readers aged 15 and over.
That book features advice on how to engage in anal sex, including the use of lubricant and cleaning one’s backside before the act; the use of sex toys; foot fetishes, and more, despite the guide explicitly aiming it at 15-year-olds.
The development comes amid controversy surrounding the book in recent days.
Children’s Minister Norma Foley told Gript on Wednesday that she was not familiar with “What’s the T?” when asked about it by Gript, despite the fact that Gript had sent the material to her office and the Department of Children press office hours before the press conference, explicitly stating that the issue would be asked about.
In the now-viral online clip, Foley also said she believed parental supervision was important when it came to children’s reading material, but refused to condemn the book being included in a children’s reading list outright.