Joe Walsh (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 520: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his plans to establish a press council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32677/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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A Bill providing for the reform of our defamation law is in the course of being drafted with a view to publication in December 2005.

The proposed defamation Bill will contain provision to confer statutory recognition on an applicant organisation to be the press council of Ireland. The press council would be an independent body, broadly representative of civic society, with minority representation from publishers and journalists.

Statutory recognition, by way of a resolution to be moved in both Houses of the Oireachtas, may be conferred on an independent organisation which might formally request the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to be recognised as the press council for the purposes of the legislation. Recognition would confer certain privileges such as immunity from action in respect of their judgments, decisions, directions, etc., or those of a subsidiary body, such as a press ombudsman.

The proposed press council would have to conform to criteria for recognition set down in the Bill. A recognised press council would have, as its central focus, a code of standards supported, and subscribed to, by print media organisations with operations in the State. The code of standards would provide an added protection to citizens' privacy from media intrusion and harassment. It is also envisaged that the press ombudsman would be established by the press council to deal with complaints from those affected by breaches of the code of standards.