Censorship of video and DVD recordings in Ireland

Rules

Each video/DVD is classified as being suitable for a specific age group unless it is prohibited under Section 3 (1) of the Video Recordings Act, 1989.

A video/DVD can be prohibited if, in the opinion of IFCO the viewing of it:

• Would be likely to cause people to commit crimes,
• Would be likely to stir up hatred against a group of people in the State or elsewhere or
• Would tend, because it is obscene or indecent, to deprave or corrupt,

Or

• It depicts acts of gross violence or cruelty (including mutilation and torture) towards humans or animals.

IFCO is not obliged to give a video/DVD the same classification as the feature film and a video and DVD may be classified differently from each other if they contain different material. In general, Irish classifications are broadly similar to those in existence in other countries.

Video/DVD classifications currently in use

The current classifications are as follows:

• G: suitable for viewers generally, (including children of school going age).
• PG: suitable for viewers generally, but parental guidance is recommended for children under 12
• 12: suitable for people aged 12 or over.
• 15: suitable for people aged 15 or over.
• 18: suitable for persons age 18 or over

Offences and penalties under the Video Recordings Act

There are a number of offences under the Video Recordings Act, including the importation, possession or supply of prohibited or wrongly certified videos/DVDs or supplying videos/DVDs without a licence. It is an offence to supply a video/DVD to someone who is younger than the class the video/DVD is certified as suitable for.

Members of the public may report violations (and suspected violations) of the Act directly to the Film Censor's Office or to the Gardai who are authorised to seize prohibited or wrongly classified videos/DVDs from suppliers.

The penalties for breaches of the Act include fines and, in certain cases, imprisonment. The penalty on summary conviction for supplying a video/DVD to someone who is too young is a fine of up to €2,000 and/or imprisonment of up to 12 months.

Appealing against a classification of a video/DVD

Any person may appeal a decision by IFCO that prohibits a video/DVD to the Classification of Films Appeal Board. (The appeal must be made within three months of the date of publication of the prohibition order in Iris Oifigiúil (Ireland's official State gazette).

Any person may appeal a decision of IFCO in relation to the classification of a video/DVD to the Classification of Films Appeal Board within three months of the date of classification.

The Classification of Films Appeal Board has nine members that are appointed by the Minister for Justice and Equality.

Records held by IFCO

IFCO holds registers of certified and prohibited works and also registers of licences of video/DVD retailers and wholesalers. These registers may be examined at their office. At present, no fee is charged for this service.