Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

Amendments Nos. 6, 7 and 9 are drafting amendments. Amendment No. 6 is purely technical. Amendment No. 7 provides that the reference in subsection (2)(b)(ii) to "the defence of qualified privilege" be in accordance with all of section 16 and not limited to section 16(2). A similar amendment may be required in section 29(4), and I will examine this matter prior to Report Stage.

Amendment No. 9 proposes to improve the text of the Bill for greater clarity. Having considered the points made by Senators on Committee Stage in the last Seanad and the current wording of this subsection, I agreed that the drafting could be improved on. The proposed amendment improves on the original construction and a simpler approach is taken to this rather complex issue. Amendment No. 10 is in the name of Senator Walsh.