Ms Susan McKay:

That is exactly the point I have been making today and on every other opportunity that I get a chance. We need to be able to advertise more widely and in as many forums as possible what we offer and what people need to do to access what we provide. It is an excellent service and it is something that is freely available to every citizen. People are frustrated by the fact that they cannot afford to go to law. They have the same sort of worries about money as journalists have, and about the money it is going to cost them to defend a case. People have worries about how they are going to vindicate their good name by going to law. One can come to the Press Council and my office with a far broader range of complaints than one can bring to law, so it makes sense to come to the Press Council. We just need to make sure that as many people as possible know about us and how to use our services.

For example, I do not think a lot of people know that representative organisations can use the Press Council to make complaints. I have to make a decision as to whether a complainant is personally affected by the issue they are complaining about. Representative organisations can make a complaint on behalf of their members or the people they represent. The Press Council can be used by a very broad range of people but we just need to make sure they all know about it. I am not saying I am absolutely certain that the number of cases that will come is going to be a lot bigger than it is now. It is just that it is untested, and to be sure that people have confidence in the Irish media, we need to have that awareness.