In proposing the establishment of a statutory press council, the programme for Government did not attempt to define in advance the nature or composition of such a body. It seems obvious that there is not and never has been any legal inhibition on the press in Ireland establishing a voluntary press council if it wished to do so. A purely voluntary press council would of course have no legal authority and no enforceable remedy as a matter of law. I stress that the term "statutory" does not necessarily mean a council of the nature and composition envisaged in the advisory group's report. It certainly does not mean that the Government of the day should seek to appoint the members of a press council as a matter of executive discretion.