Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I am very concerned about the prevalence of strategic lawsuits against public participation or so-called SLAPPs. As the Taoiseach knows, these lawsuits involve public figures, powerful individuals or rich corporations taking vexatious cases against the media, activists or, indeed, members of the public in an effort to muzzle their critics.

It is particularly concerning when journalists are personally sued in addition to the publisher as these cases can be financially ruinous. When proceedings are taken in the High Court, costs sometimes run into the millions of euro, forcing journalists and media outlets to settle out of court, even in cases they could win.

The effect of all this is that those with deep pockets can shut down debate and silence public interest journalism. Successive Governments have promised to reform our defamation laws for years, but we are still waiting. A true democracy needs a strong and responsible media that can hold powerful people and corporations to account. Pre-legislative scrutiny of the general scheme of the defamation (amendment) Bill-----

See this speech in context