POLITICIANS SUING NEWSPAPERS and journalists “is wrong” and is “designed to make journalists afraid”, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Dáil today.

Speaking in the Dáil chamber during Leaders’ Questions, Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns said she was concerned about the prevalence of lawsuits involving public figures, stating it is an “effort to muzzle their critics”.

“It is particularly concerning when journalists are personally sued in addition to the publisher as these cases can be financially ruinous. When proceedings are taken in the High Court, costs sometimes run into the millions of euro forcing journalists and media outlets to settle out of court, even in cases they could win.

“The effect of all this is that those with deep pockets can shut down debate and silence public interest journalism,” she said.

She concluded by asking when the reformed defamation law will be progressed.

Her comments follow news that Sinn Féin TD Chris Andrews is suing The Irish Times and its political correspondent Harry McGee over coverage of Sinn Féin’s response to the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October.

Responding, the Taoiseach told the Dáil that he had not planned to “bring it up” but said while people are entitled to sue the media if they so wish, they do not have to.

“There are other ways to seek redress, one of which is a complaint to the Press Council of Ireland. That is the appropriate course that people should follow.

“To see a Member in this House not just suing a major newspaper but also personally suing a journalist is only designed to do one thing. It is designed to make journalists afraid. It is designed to make them think twice about what they write and and that is wrong.

“There are other ways to get redress and corrections and clarifications. At the very least, the first step should be the Press Council of Ireland and not suing a news organisation, and particularly not suing a journalist individually. I think that is frightening actually,” said Varadkar.

The Taoiseach said the revised defamation bill will be published “quite soon”, stating that the Justice Minister Helen McEntee is working on heads of the Bill with a hope to have it enacted next year.

Last month, Press Ombudsman Susan McKay called on politicians who have issues with the media to consider using her office “as a powerful alternative system of redress”.

“Everyone is entitled to go to law, but I want to propose to politicians and others in high office that they should seriously consider using the Office of the Press Ombudsman as a powerful alternative system of redress,” McKay said. 

“One course of action does not rule out the other – my office does not consider complaints while a legal case is ongoing, but there is nothing to stop a person making a complaint under the Press Council’s Code of Practice and following it up by going to law if they so wish,” she added.