The Order of Business is No. 1, Teaching Council Bill, 2000 – Committee and Remaining Stages; No. 2, Ordnance Survey Bill, 2001 – Committee and Remaining Stages; No. 3, statements on the current status of foot and mouth disease, to commence not before 4 p.m. and to conclude by 6 p.m., with the contributions of spokespersons not to exceed ten minutes and those of all other Senators not to exceed seven minutes; item 19, motion No. 29, to be taken from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and business, if not previously concluded, to resume thereafter. Business will be interrupted from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Mr. Manning: I wish to raise two related items on the Order of Business. A recent celebrated libel case has led many people in the media to demand reform of the laws on libel and defamation and, by implication, to suggest that the politicians stand in the way of such reform. The Seanad has had numerous debates on that subject and there was a general willingness on all sides for movement towards reform. That reform would involve the lifting of certain restrictions, as they are seen by the media, in return for the appointment of a press ombudsman. We should have that debate again early in the new session.
However, if there were an ombudsman, I wonder what he would have made of the front page of yesterday's Irish Mirror. It was an extraordinary, insensitive and brutal intrusion into the grief of a family who had just lost their father. I will not mention the details of the case but it was one of the most extraordinary and intrusive pieces of journalism I have seen. We would all benefit from reminding the media from time to time that there are responsibilities as well as rights involved in freedom of speech.
I did not see last night's "Prime Time" programme—