David Norris (Independent)

I know, but it is the directional trend which is worrying. Senator Alex White said that people in public life should be subject to robust and rigorous examination. I completely agree with him. Who on earth imagines that I am against robust and rigorous investigation and comment? I am, however, against untruth, lies and the printing of lies. We should be careful about where this leads. However, the Government has the numbers and it will do what it wants.

In my amendment I examined one of the sections to which Senator Alex White referred which deals with the establishment of the Press Council and the adherence to the code of standards of the Press Council or to standards equivalent to those specified in that code of standards. What is this equivalence? That is very woolly. It is bad draftsmanship and that is why it should be deleted. If there is a standard set by the Press Council, what are we doing by including such equivalence? What is this parallel universe that also exists? This is bad law and bad draftsmanship. It opens the gate wide enough to let a herd of stagecoaches through — that is a bit of mixed metaphor. I am concerned about this.

I repeat the fact that I am not against robust and rigorous examination. Senator Pearse Doherty and others referred to the Proclamation of Easter 1916 and the cherishing of all the children of the nation equally. Likewise, the Constitution of Ireland makes no distinction in the Articles, which I quoted extensively during the previous debate, where the State guarantees to vindicate vigorously the good name of the citizen. It does not provide that it will do that until the citizen goes into public life.