Politicians condemn Sinn Féin TD's 'frightening' legal action against journalist

Sinn Féin's Chris Andrews is taking legal action against The Irish Times and its political correspondent.

Legal action by a TD against a journalist is "frightening" and "wrong", the Taoiseach has told the Dáil.

Leo Varadkar was speaking after it emerged Sinn Féin TD Chris Andrews is suing both The Irish Times and its Political Correspondent Harry McGee personally over an article published last month.

The article in question included comments made by Mr Andrews on social media about the events in Israel, including his responses to a post on X, formerly Twitter, by Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the EU Commission.

In the Dáil on Wednesday, Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns raised the issue of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPS). She said that those with “deep pockets can shut down debate and silence public interest journalism”.

"As you know these lawsuits involve public figures, powerful individuals, or rich corporations taking vexatious cases against media, activists, or indeed members of the public in an effort to muzzle their critics."

In response, Mr Varadkar said that “people are entitled to sue the media if they so wish, but they don’t have to."

“There are other ways to seek redress and one is a complaint to the Press Council and I think that’s the appropriate course that people should follow and to see a member of this House, not just suing a major newspaper but also personally suing a journalist, that’s only designed to do one thing — it’s designed to make journalists afraid, it’s designed to make them think twice about what they write, and I think it’s wrong.

“There’s other ways to get redress and get corrections and clarifications and at the very least, the first step should be the Press Council and not suing a news organisation, particularly not suing a journalist individually, I think that is frightening actually.”

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Mr Varadkar told Ms Cairns that Justice Minister Helen McEntee is working on heads of a bill that would reform Ireland's defamation legislation, which he hoped would be enacted in the new year.

Earlier in Leaders' Questions, Mr Varadkar told Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald that Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien is working with the Housing Agency on advice and guidance that owners and management companies in defective buildings can take when carrying out fire safety works which will be published in the coming weeks.