Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It has not been submitted to the Government yet. I am not quite sure of the status of the report. I am advised that the draft report, with options, is due to be submitted to the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Flanagan, in January. I imagine that we will have the report in January 2019. After the Minister has had a chance to review it, it will come to Cabinet with a view to publication. As is always the case, and I know Deputy Howlin will agree with me on this, defamation is always a bad thing. We do not want to make it easier for people to be defamed, so we need to find the right balance between protecting the free press, and ensuring we have a free press in Ireland, and ensuring we do not make it easier to defame people and trash their reputations. I do not think that would be a good thing either. We need to make sure we get the balance right.

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