Emer Currie (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I too wish to be associated with our condolences and sympathies with the family of Michael O'Regan. I did not know him myself but I followed him on Twitter. He had some very nice things to say about my father over the years, which I am always grateful to read. He struck me as part of that generation of journalists who never took peace for granted on this island. It was in that context that his contributions were very much welcome because we now live in an era in which we sometimes gloss over how difficult it was to even get into a peace process and the sacrifices people made. Sometimes, I feel history sees it through the lens of two sides - green versus orange - when most of us were pushing for peace. That is sometimes forgotten. Michael was not someone who forgot that.

On that, I got the tail-end of some remarks by Senator Mullen in relation to another media outlet. I have been at press conferences and media doughnuts where all journalists are firing questions. It is like the end of an exam - you only put down your pencil when you have to. Sometimes, questions do not get answered but that is okay. Every journalist, I would imagine, has been in that position. If that is the first time that media outlet has been in that position, that is probably a good position. I would not take it personally. We have a fine calibre of journalists in this country and a good relationship with them. It is important that we all sustain it, on both sides of the equation.