David Norris (Independent)

I welcome this section because it seems to be travelling in the direction of a class action, which has been forbidden by Irish law until now. It is a good provision because a class of persons can be defamed.

According to the information I have been given, the provisions for the press council, while following the standard practice of referring to attacks on persons due to their sex, race, nationality, religion and so on, omit the Traveller community. I wish such was not the case. While it is only marginally relevant at this point in the Bill, I want to signal the Minister regarding the matter.

Were someone to write that I am a well known Sodomite, Sodomites cause disease and I am a well known spreader of disease, I would be covered by this provision, but I presume a gay person or a Traveller would not have a right of action if one attacks gay people or Travellers in general. Will the Minister clarify this matter? Must the attack be specific and name the individual? How will it operate? A sweeping, general statement of a highly dangerous and inflammatory nature might be addressed by the incitement to hatred legislation. I presume there must be a specific identification.