Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

I move amendment No. 9:

In page 18, line 33, to delete "similar" and substitute "greater".

This is intended to ensure that where an apology is being offered or is to be published, rather than publish it in a way that ensures it is given "the same or similar" prominence it should be "greater" prominence because the apology needs to be upfront given that time will have passed since the original headline. One sees, for example, a blaring front page headline one day and then months later an apology buried in a corner on an inside page, rarely on the front page. We should ensure that it should have the same or greater prominence. If the article was on page 4 or 5 of the newspaper people might have read and discussed it, whereas an apology on the same page might not receive the same attention especially if it is published on a quiet news day or during the summer months when newspaper sales are low.

Amendment No. 10, in my name and that of Deputy Rabbitte, is based on an amendment that Deputy Rabbitte tabled on Committee Stage, to ensure that if a newspaper is allowed to use the fact that it issued an apology to mitigate the level of damages it should have published that apology at the earliest opportunity, rather than on the steps of, or the day before going to, court. It should not be a grudging apology published at the 11th hour. It should be made properly, in line with my amendment No. 9.

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