Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

It is incumbent on the media - both traditional and new - to exercise due care and attention with regard to potential violations of privacy. This is particularly so in cases where exposure of private behaviour is not the public interest that is concerned but rather the public's prurience. Where the behaviour of a person is not illegal, does not place anyone at risk of injury or financial loss or does not impact on public duties that they may be required to perform, I do not believe that it is fair for the media or anyone to expose such personal behaviour.

Quite frankly, some exposés are done for commercial gain, though it is often dressed up as some type of morality lecture. Media moralising, like moralising of any kind, should be avoided. Significant hurt can be done to innocent third parties, especially children. It is very difficult to argue that kiss and tell exposure stories are really vital to the maintenance of press freedom and investigative journalism. They may add some spice and prurience to life and it is not unknown for certain people to effectively consent to exposure for their own reasons. Where individuals do not give such consent there is no reason why their private personal lives should feature in the headlines of the national media.