Mary Lou McDonald rejects claim Sinn Féin is trying to silence media with legal actions

Mary Lou McDonald at the Sinn Féin leader Ard Fheis at the Technological University of Shannon Campus in Athlone. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Mary Lou McDonald has denied her party is attempting to "stranglehold democracy" and has defended the decision of members to sue the media.

The Sinn Féin leader has strongly rejected any claim that her party is trying to silence the media by mounting legal actions, stating that everyone has a right to defend their reputation.

It comes after Sinn Féin TD Chris Andrews initiated legal action against both The Irish Times and its Political Correspondent Harry McGee personally over an article published last month.

Speaking the in Dáil this week, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar described the action as "frightening" and "wrong".

However, Ms McDonald said every individual has the right and the freedom to pursue matters in a way they see as appropriate.

Asked if the party are attempting to put a stranglehold on democracy by suing media organisations and individual journalists, she said: "Let me just remind you, we stand or fall on the basis of democracy we put ourselves before it's the people we are very much in the in the middle of all of that."

In May of last year, the Index on Censorship organisation flagged Ms McDonald's case against RTÉ with the Council of Europe as a threat to media freedom.

The London-based organisation said the High Court proceedings taken by the party leader over an interview on Radio One was evidence of a Slapp (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) action.

When pressed on the fact that her case had been labelled as Slapp, Ms McDonald said:" I have done no such thing and I reject that out of hand."

She added: "In the occasion, where a line is crossed, sorry. I reserve personally the right to defend my reputation."

Speaking to media at her party's Ard Fheis in Athlone, Ms McDonald added: "All of you do a very, very important job in a in a functioning democracy and you will write your copy, broadcast your material and you know there'll be the necessary tension and toing and froing it all of that. 

"There's never an intention to make this about any individual. This is simply a situation where you have your jobs to do we have ours to do," she said. 

"As and when a line is crossed, as and when something is said or published that crosses a particular line people have the right to use the mechanisms available to them to vindicate their name."