John Crown (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The only people who can damage the name of any public body are those who work for such a body. When this matter is seen in the context of the other issued I have raised in recent weeks regarding a respected medical journalist who wrote an article in which he made the same criticisms which have continually made during the past year about the current policy on discretionary and non-discretionary medical cards and who received a letter in which he was threatened with legal action from a PR specialist acting on behalf of the HSE and informed of the consequences which might arise if he did not desist from blackening the good name of the organisation. I am delighted that Senator Bacik will be replying to the Order of Business and I would be grateful for her opinion on this. There should be a general principle whereby government bodies do not have a right to sue in respect of their own reputations. We live in a vibrant democracy, with a vibrant press and appropriately querulous journalists and concerned citizens, and we must protect the right of people to question the activities of the Government and its agencies. I would like the specific matter of the gagging order to which I refer to be brought to the attention of the Minister for health. I am of the view that it should be removed from the contract.