Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Has the Government any intention of bringing forward a Bill regarding the defamation of the dead? Some countries have such legislation. I raise it in particular regarding statements by Dr. TK Whitaker in an authorised biography by Anne Chambers published by Transworld Ireland, which has made a statement withdrawing certain allegations made about the late Charles Haughey, former Taoiseach, who was a very progressive Minister for Finance in the 1960s. On 16 December 2003, he informed me and the former Minister and Leader of the Seanad, Mary O'Rourke, that Dr. Whitaker had begged him not to introduce free travel and had gone as far as the Chamber of Dáil Éireann to plead with him not to do so. Now, thanks be to God, Dr. Whitaker can avail of free travel. I am delighted with that, and I wish him well because I know him well and am very impressed by him. He contributed greatly, along with Seán Lemass, Jack Lynch and others, to the development of the country and nothing will ever take from that. However, I am disappointed that at 97 years of age, some publishers may be abusing their position in making statements-----