America can teach us all a lesson on freedom of speech

Wealthy people simply cannot understand why their business affairs should be put under the microscope, even when the conduct of those affairs impinges to a great degree on the public interest, writes Kyran Fitzgerald.

Have no doubt about. The businessman and media baron, Denis O’Brien, apparently feels strongly that he is being ‘got at’, and singled out. He does not see why deals in which he has participated should be aired in public, whether in Dáil Eireann, or in the media.

And yet, if there is one lesson to be learned from the bubble years, it is that the activities of the powerful in the world of business must be the subject of careful public analysis and informed debate.