David Norris (Independent)

I thank the Deputy Leader for her kind remarks about Bloomsday. I was pleased to send a message of congratulations to her colleague, Senator Susan O'Keeffe, about Yeats Day. The President has graciously accepted our invitation to attend the opening of Bloomsday at 8 p.m. in the James Joyce Centre.

I wish to raise a serious issue that I have raised previously and which is covered by No. 23, motion No. 9, on the Order Paper. The House should discuss the annual report of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman for 2011. They had 77 cases in hand at the end of 2011. While one third related to truth and accuracy, there was a threefold increase in the number of complaints about prejudice, but they are passive. They are not proactive in defending citizens, which is a problem. I do not believe in calling for people's heads, but we should seriously scrutinise this office. It is a flimsy report in which I take a certain interest because, for some reason, I take up half a page in it. Included in it is a photograph of my initial withdrawal from the presidential election campaign without an explanation. The other picture was of either a fox hunt or a point-to-point meeting. Perhaps there is a concealed message in this, but the House must take this issue seriously in the light of the fact that it has been demonstrated that similar offices, particularly the office of the Information Commissioner in the United Kingdom, have been used as a buffer to protect newspapers from recourse by members of the public.

I am particularly concerned at the recent Leveson inquiry revelations that the former British Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, decided to manage rather than confront the press because he knew it would relentlessly, consistently and remorselessly pursue not only him but also his family, even after his leaving office. If the Prime Minister of Britain can be terrified of the press, we should all take note. Yesterday we had the revelation that Rupert Murdoch had attempted directly to change policy during the premiership of Mr. John Major. It has been clearly shown that members of the police force, the information system and certain politicians in that jurisdiction have been corrupted, that people's lives have been ruined-----