Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

One of the primary benefits of a statutorily recognised press council, as provided for in the Bill, is that qualified privilege would attach to its reports and decisions or to those of a subsidiary body, such as the press ombudsman service it would operate. Subscription to the press council and adherence to its code of practice by a current affairs publication would strengthen its entitlement to avail equally of the defence of reasonable publication in any court action, which is a new defence in the Bill. Non-members of the press council will be required to have in place an equivalent fairness regime, or to operate an equivalent and publicised code of standards to avail of that defence.

Self-regulation in many areas functions very well and the State does not have to control everything in society.