The editor of The Irish Times appealed a decision made by the Press Ombudsman to uphold a complaint received from Mr Paul Muldoon.
The editor submitted his appeal on the grounds that there had been an error in the Press Ombudsman’s application of the Press Council’s Code of Practice.
Decision
At its meeting on 17 September 2025 the Press Council considered the appeal on the grounds relied upon and on the information, documentation and submissions made by both parties to the appeal.
The Press Council decided to uphold the appeal by The Irish Times. It found that the Press Ombudsman had erred in her application of Principle 1.1 of the Code of Practice by setting the bar too high in determining whether the journalist, in what was a descriptive piece, had failed to strive for truth and accuracy, and also that she had inferred meanings from the article that were not sustained by the text. It follows that Principles 1.2 and 1.3 of the Code were not breached. The offer by The Irish Times to publish a letter from Mr Muldoon was reasonable in the circumstances.