PRESS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

The Press Council of Ireland is responsible for the oversight of the professional principles embodied in the Code of Practice, and with upholding freedom of the press.  It operates with the support and cooperation of member publications and journalists.  It decides on appeals from decisions of the Press Ombudsman and on complaints referred to it by the Press Ombudsman.  It is independent of both government and the press.

About the Press Council of Ireland

The Press Council has 13 members.  Seven members, including the Chair, are independent members, who are appointed following a public competition.  The remaining six members are drawn from the press industry.

The Press Council appoints the Press Ombudsman following a public competition.  It also decides on appeals from decisions of the Press Ombudsman and on complaints referred to it directly by the Press Ombudsman.

Member Publications

A complaint can be made about any publication that is a member of the Press Council of Ireland.

Members of the Press Council

The Press Council of Ireland has 13 members. Seven of these, including the Chairman, are drawn from suitably qualified persons representative of a broad spectrum of Irish society. The remaining six members of the Press Council provide senior editorial and journalistic expertise and perspectives reflective of the press industry.

The independent Chair of the Press Council is Mr Rory Montgomery.   The Deputy Chair is James Doorley.

Independent Members

Rory Montgomery

Image of Noeline Blackwell

Noeline Blackwell

Alan Dukes

James Doorley

Sunniva McDonagh

Edith Geraghty

Dr. Tim Hinchey

Industry Members

Duan Stokes

Siobhán Cronin

Samantha McCaughren

Roddy O’Sullivan 

Conor O’Donnell

Siobhán Holliman

Appeal Decisions

 

A Complainant and The Irish Times

The complainant appealed the Press Ombudsman’s decision to the Press Council of Ireland on the grounds that significant new information was available that could not have been made available to the Press Ombudsman before making his decision. At its meeting on 4...

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A Woman and The Herald (374)

The Newspaper had appealed the decision of the Press Ombudsman to the Press Council of Ireland on the grounds that the Press Ombudsman had erred in his application of the Code of Practice. At its meeting on 3 July 2020, the Press Council decided to reject the appeal...

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A Woman and the Sunday World (582)

The woman appealed the Press Ombudsman’s decision to the Press Council of Ireland. Appeal to Press Council of Ireland The Press Council considered the appeal at its meeting on Friday 5th of February 2021. It decided to reject the appeal on the basis that it did not...

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Decisions on referral to the Press Council

 

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Press Council History

In 2003, a legal advisory group on defamation – established by the Minister for Justice – recommended in its report that the defamation laws be reformed and a statutory press council established.

While the newspaper and magazine industry welcomed news that the defamation laws would be reformed, there was significant opposition to the concept of a statutory press council.  The industry therefore came together and formed the Press Industry Steering Committee comprising representatives of the following organisations:

  • National Newspapers of Ireland (NNI)  – (name changed to NewsBrands Ireland in 2015)
  • Regional Newspapers Association of Ireland (RNAI) – (name changed to Local Ireland in 2014)
  • Periodical Publishers Association of Ireland (PPAI) – (name changed to Magazines Ireland in 2009)
  • National Union of Journalists (NUJ)
  • Irish Editions of UK Titles

The Committee had one key objective – to agree a model for an independent press complaints mechanism. The Committee held their first meeting in January 2004 and operated under the independent chairmanship of Professor Thomas Mitchell, former Provost of Trinity College, Dublin. Senator Maurice Hayes acted as facilitator.

After that first meeting, the Press Industry Steering Committee worked over many meetings towards agreeing a model for the establishment of an Office of the Press Ombudsman and Press Council of Ireland. A Code Committee, comprising representatives from across the industry – including senior editors – agreed a Code of Practice.  Complaints to the Press Ombudsman are based on articles thought to involve a breach of this Code.

Throughout the process, the Press Industry Steering Committee maintained contact and met on several occasions with the Minister for Justice and his officials to ensure that the Department’s views were taken into consideration. With the establishment of the Press Council of Ireland in June 2007, and of the Office of the Press Ombudsman in January 2008, the Press Industry Steering Committee ceased its work.

The Press Council of Ireland has 13 members, each of whom is appointed by an independent Appointments Committee.  The Committee was appointed in the first instance by the Press Industry Steering Committee.  Future appointments to the Committee are made by the Press Council.  See current membership here

Independent Press Regulation

What is press regulation?

Press regulation is a way of making sure that member newspapers,  magazines and onlne-only news publications comply with an agreed set of ethical standards and behaviours. These standards include things like accuracy, fairness, privacy and other journalistic principles.  Behaviour includes things like avoiding harassment and subterfuge, unless justified by the public interest. They are set out in detail in the Code of Practice.

The Office of the Press Ombudsman and the Press Council of Ireland provides access to an independent press complaints mechanism that is quick, fair and free.

The complaints mechanism is designed to ensure that the freedom of the press is never abused, and that the public interest is always served. These are the main principles of independent press regulation all around the world.

How does it work?

Press regulation gives people an opportunity to complain to the Office of the Press Ombudsman if they feel that a newspaper or magazine has breached the Code of Practice. The service is free, it’s designed to resolve complaints quickly, and because the system is independent, its decisions are always fair. This means it’s good for the public… and good for the press.

Why should it be independent?

Independent press regulation is the most objective, credible and transparent form of press regulation. Both the Office of the Press Ombudsman and the Press Council of Ireland are independent of government and, in operation, independent of media. Independent press regulation works best because it relies on the voluntary commitment of member publication editors and journalists to adhere to the journalistic principles contained in the Code of Practice.

Structures and Funding

The Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman were established under the Companies Acts 1963 to 2006 and 2014, and in accordance with the Constitution of the Press Council, as an independent regulatory body to consider, investigate, resolve or adjudicate on complaints received from the public of possible breaches of the Press Council’s Code of Practice by member publications

In their operations, policies, and in their application of the Principles of the Code of Practice, the Press Council and the Office of the Press Ombudsman are independent both of the press industry and of government.

The finances of the Press Council and of the Office of the Press Ombudsman, including funding, premises, and staffing, are provided, under the terms of the Constitution by the Administrative Committee of the Press Council, which is chaired by an independent member of the Council.

Each member title of the Press Council is levied by the Administrative Committee in accordance with its circulation to meet the funding requirements of the Press Council and the Office of the Press Ombudsman.

The Administrative Committee includes representatives of NewsBrands Ireland, Mediahuis, Local Ireland, Magazines Ireland, online-only news publications, and the National Union of Journalists. Membership at July 2024  – James Doorley  (Chair), Seamus Dooley, Cliff Taylor, Adrian Acosta, Bob Hughes, Ann Marie Lenihan,  David McDonagh, Paul Henderson, DJ Corbett, Alan Steenson and Colm O’Reilly.

Further details of the finances of the Press Council and the Office of the Press Ombudsman are available in the Annual Reports of the Press Council and the Office of the Press Ombudsman published each year, and available below.

Appointments Committee

The Appointments Committee seeks expressions of interest for the independent members of the Press Council by public advertisment, and chooses for appointment six of those who have responded.  The Chairman is the seventh independent member of the Press Council.

The Committee also appoints six members of the Press Council reserved for individuals with relevant experience of journalism and the press industry, on the basis of nominations received by the press organisations Newsbrands Ireland, Magazines Ireland, Local Ireland and the National Union of Journalists.

The members of the first Appointments Committee in 2007 were:

    • Professor Thomas Mitchell (Chairman), former Provost of Trinity College Dublin
    • Dr Maurice Manning, former President of the Irish Human Rights Commission
    • Dr Miriam Hederman O’Brien, former Chair of the Broadcasting Complaints Commission and the Commission on Taxation
    • Mr Kevin Murphy, former Ombudsman and Information Commissioner

Members of the current Appointments Committee are:

    • Mr Rory Montgomery (Chair)
    • Ms Frances Ruane, former Chair of the Economic & Social, Research Institute
    • Mr Dermot McCarthy, former Secretary General, Department of the Taoiseach
    • Ms Tina Roche, founder of Business in the Community and Community Foundation Ireland