Senator denies trying to silence journalism by referring The Ditch donation to Sipo 

Fianna Fáil Senator Malcolm Byrne complained to Sipo that the reported donation of €1m over five years by Paddy Cosgrave to The Ditch, comes within the definition of third party under the Electoral Acts. Picture:Gareth Chaney/Collins

The senator who made a complaint to the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) regarding a €1m donation to The Ditch website by entrepreneur Paddy Cosgrave has denied accusations he is trying to "silence journalism".

Fianna Fáil senator Malcolm Byrne said The Ditch had "missed the point" of his complaint to Sipo, claiming he did so not to censor The Ditch but to "ensure politically motivated platforms are subject to the same campaign finance rules as others".

Mr Byrne complained to Sipo that the reported donation of €1m over five years by Paddy Cosgrave to The Ditch, comes within the definition of third party under the Electoral Acts.

An individual or organisation which accepts donations of more than €100 for political purposes is classed as a third party and must comply with certain obligations, according to Sipo rules.

The Ditch retorted that Mr Byrne's "cynical" complaint is an attempt to "silence journalism", and that the Wexford-based senator is "allowing himself to be used as a conduit" for Tánaiste Micheál Martin, who has criticised The Ditch as not independent and politically motivated. 

In an editorial that went online last night it also said: "National media outlets are highly political organisations, which forge political allegiances and seek to influence the political decisions of the electorate. They just aren’t honest about it."

The website has broken stories that led to the resignations of ministers Robert Troy and Damien English, and heaped political pressure on current minister of state Niall Collins regarding a land purchase in Limerick in 2008.

Mr Byrne told the Irish Examiner that he did not want to silence outlets like The Ditch.

"Paddy Cosgrave can have any views that he wants. But if he is going to fund a political campaign, he has to be subject to political finance rules. 

This is not the US or UK where wealthy business people can set up political action committees to pursue political campaigns. We have very clear rules here. 

"If Paddy Cosgrave wants to set up a website with a political objective to attack Government parties or attack agencies like An Bord Pleanála, it needs to be transparent and accountable under the same rules as everyone else. 

!If trade unions or NGOs or business organisations want to take part in a political campaign, they are subject to particular finance rules. I don't think multimillionaires should get to direct political campaigns," he said.

The Ditch insists it is a "left news organisation for which holding power to account is a genuine aspiration", while pointing to the fact that it is a member of the Press Council since January.