British newspapers with Irish editions have not complained of a “deeply illiberal” regulatory environment in Ireland, British deputy prime minister Nick Clegg noted yesterday.
Irish editions of the Daily Mail, the Sun and the Mirror are member publications of the Press Council of Ireland, thereby accepting its statutory basis, code of conduct, conciliation and disciplinary procedures.
This is despite the opposition of the Daily Mail and Sun UK parent organisations yesterday to similar measures proposed by Lord Justice Leveson.
Yesterday the Irish Daily Mail’s incoming editor-in-chief, Sebastian Hamilton, said he had “no insight into the approach of the UK Daily Mail on this issue” but their position seemed to be the same as David Cameron “so is obviously well founded”.
The Irish Daily Mail’s editorial position was decided in Dublin and the Irish paper was “entirely independent”, Mr Hamilton said. Its editorial view was “entirely separate”, he said. He noted that the Irish paper at all times abided by every decision of the Press Council and ombudsman.
Yesterday John Kierans, editor of the Irish Daily Mirror, said there was a “huge difference” between the regulation being proposed in the UK and the system in Ireland. His newspaper was a “huge supporter” of the Press Council of Ireland, which was “very independent” and which the paper “strictly respected”, he said. There had been “no state interference” and “no censorship” in Ireland, he said.
Irish Sun publisher News International welcomed Mr Cameron’s rejection of Leveson’s proposal and said a new body could be “achieved without statutory regulation”.
