Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

We are now in public session. The first item I want to deal with relates to correspondence received from Rachel Downes, chief executive officer (acting) of Caranua, who is calling for alleged defamatory and untrue remarks by a member to be withdrawn. The correspondence states that the complaint relates to contributions made by Senator Paul Gavan in the course of the committee meeting of 15 November 2018. In her letter Ms Downes is requesting that those remarks are publicly withdrawn by Senator Paul Gavan and that she receive a public apology for the false and defamatory allegations made against her. I have examined the relevant portion of the transcript from the meeting and the remarks noted by myself at that time also and, having given the matter consideration, I am of the opinion that Ms Downes’s request is reasonable. Therefore, I am going to call on Senator Gavan to withdraw the utterance without qualification. We have discussed the issue with Senator Gavan prior to this meeting.