Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In general, court reporting is of a high standard, although I would be interested in the Minister's opinion in this regard. Obviously, there have been a number of high-profile transgressions and issues, but the majority of court reporting is factual concerning the evidence and findings and, as such, cannot be disputed.

The Minister referred to maintaining the protection of privacy for people involved in the family law courts. While we all ascribe to this suggestion, are we in danger under this legislation of moving away from a general prohibition on naming those involved? Will the Minister elaborate in this regard? The custom is a general prohibition on naming parties.

The Minister stated that it would be for the court to decide on the bona fides of the press members who were allowed to report. What is the definition of a "bona fide representative"? Does it mean a member of the National Union of Journalists, NUJ, or a local, well known stringer who attends the courts and is known to the local Judiciary?

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