Harney settles Newstalk libel case for €450k

FORMER health minister Mary Harney has won a settlement worth close to €450,000 from Newstalk after she was libelled by a contributor to a programme on the radio station.

The comments about Ms Harney were made by journalist Nell McCafferty on the Tom Dunne show in March 2010.

Ms Harney was still health minister at the time, and her lawyers moved immediately to seek damages from the station.

The Phoenix magazine reported yesterday that Ms Harney has settled her libel action for circa €450,000. This was independently verified by the Irish Examiner.

A settlement was never in question after Newstalk apologised at length last year to Ms Harney, admitting that Ms McCafferty’s comments were “untruthful”, “deeply hurtful” and should never have been aired.

But the size of the settlement may raise eyebrows. One industry source said it could have put a less well-funded company than Newstalk out of business.

Newstalk, however, is owned by telecoms billionaire Denis O’Brien, and it’s understood his financial resources mean there is no threat to the station’s future.

Mr O’Brien himself was awarded €750,000 in damages by a jury in 2006 over a libel by the Daily Mirror.

A number of recent eye-watering libel payments awarded by juries may have influenced Newstalk to settle out of court.

In 2009, a jury awarded PR consultant Monica Leech circa €1.8m in damages over a series of articles in the Evening Herald.

That record sum was smashed last year when a jury awarded businessman Donal Kinsella €10m over a press release issued by his former employer, Kenmare Resources.

Ms Harney has previously received damages from Magill magazine and Independent Newspapers.

Magill paid out €25,000, which Ms Harney donated to charity. It’s believed she also donated the settlement from Independent Newspapers to charity.

Ms Harney is now retired from public life. She departed with a severance package worth more than €300,000 in the first year after retirement and a pension worth more than €120,000 every year after that.

Ms Harney could not be contacted for comment last night. Newstalk did not comment when contacted.