Dáil debates

Wednesday, 30 April 2025

Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage

 

10:40 am

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I ask his indulgence because we were rushing at the start and skipped over sections. I want not to oppose section 3 but to ask the Minister for clarification on a point. One of the other recommendations in the report of the pre-legislative scrutiny from the justice committee of the previous Dáil was that the definition of "periodical" should be made clearer, specifically regarding whether publications from broadcasters - say, the RTÉ website - would come under the remit of the Press Council or Coimisiún na Meán. The Oireachtas Library and Research Service produced a comprehensive review of the Bill versus the pre-legislative scrutiny report. In the review, it pointed to it not having been possible to include such a provision due to a lack of stakeholder agreement at the time. Will the Minister speak to this? Is it something he has considered since his appointment as Minister? Would he be in favour of it? If time allowed, would he be willing to look at a definition on later Stages? Essentially, does he plan to return to it?

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