Taoiseach to correct Dáil record after mistake over RTÉ's cancelled Shane Ross interview

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said his 'fundamental point' remained that Sinn Féin was 'serially threatening' legal action to media organisations. Picture: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie

The Taoiseach will correct the Dáil record next week on comments he made about RTÉ's aborted interview with former transport minister Shane Ross.

Michéal Martin had told the Dáil on Tuesday that Sinn Féin had received a copy of the interview about Mr Ross's book on its leader Mary Lou McDonald.

Both RTÉ and Sinn Féin denied this was the case, prompting the Taoiseach to tell Newstalk he had been mistaken in his comments.

Speaking in Galway on Friday, Mr Martin told the Irish Examiner he would "take the opportunity to correct the record" next week.

However, he went on to say his "fundamental point" remained that Sinn Féin was "serially threatening" legal action to media organisations.

The core point I'm making is the chilling effect is when you have a continuing, almost serial, level of defamation cases and suing broadcasting that can have a chilling effect. 

"And I surmised at the time — and I wasn't specifically correct in terms of their having access to events, but nonetheless, there was very strong conditions on the interview and extracts were going to be made available to facilitate direct reply.

"But my more fundamental point is, and I've said this before in relation to other organisations that were suing media and indeed parliament at a significant level, that that in itself makes people cautious in terms of how they conduct interviews and how they do the media and I will be taking the opportunity to correct [the record]."

Mr Martin said media organisations have campaigned for defamation law reform and Sinn Féin had been "serial" in using legal threats.

Mr Martin said that there was a difference between Sinn Féin's actions and the issuing of a legal letter by his party's former junior minister Robert Troy to the Ditch website in August. He said this was "not in the same league" as Sinn Féin's use of legal letters.

Concrete block levy

Meanwhile, the Taoiseach said the concrete block levy would be "fleshed out" in the coming days and will be "provided for" in Tuesday's Finance Bill. He said the overall principle of a "revenue stream" coming from the construction industry was one he agreed with.

He said the levy would be a contribution and was not intended to pay for all of the multi-billion euro remediation schemes.