The Pro Life Campaign has called on the Oireachtas to investigate RTE over its abortion coverage after a Prime Time special was deemed a “new low”.

“The time for editorial accountability from RTÉ has long since passed. It’s time for programmes like ‘RTÉ Investigates’ to take a step back to give way for an Oireachtas investigation into RTÉ itself – over its non-existent editorial standards when it comes to issues like abortion,” it said in a statement.

Monday night’s program dealt with how pro-life pregnancy counselling agencies deal with pregnant women and featured an interview with, Barrister Marie O’Shea, who had conducted a mandated review of the abortion law on behalf of the Government. She called for removing the few remaining restrictions and decriminalising abortion entirely.

In a move timed to coincide with the program, a coalition of women’s, doctors’ and human rights groups released an open letter calling for the same broad set of changes to the law.

In advance of the program, the Pro-Life Campaign had questioned whether the presentation would be balanced, asking if it would air numerous scandals that have plagued the new regime or the massive increase in abortion numbers.

By Monday night, they released a new statement calling the program “highly partisan and sensationalised”.