It has been brought to my attention that on Wednesday, 22nd October, speaking in Seanad Éireann you made the following remarks about RTÉ's Health Correspondent, Aileen O'Meara:
"As far as I can see, health policy is being controlled by Aileen O'Meara of RTÉ.
"Every time there is someone on a trolley, we have Aileen O'Meara or someone else from RTÉ coming on the scene."
Then, after An Leas Chathaoirleach made five or six efforts to prevent you continuing in this vein, saying inter alia: "Senator, you cannot name people who are not in the chamber", you continued ... "They may not be here but they are well represented here, and the party with whom they are involved is well represented in this House. If they want to defend it, so be it.
"She is well able to defend herself on RTÉ."
I have a number of serious concerns about these remarks, made under Seanad privilege.
Firstly, the notion that national health policy is being controlled by a journalist working for RTÉ is ludicrous.
Secondly, if Aileen O'Meara, or any other journalist working in the health area, thinks it appropriate to deal with the issue of patients lying on trolleys, then it would seem to me and to most reasonable people that they were doing their job.
Thirdly, I understood it to be the tradition and rule of the Seanad, as underscored on this occasion by An Leas Chathaoirleach, that senators did not use the privilege of the House to attack non-members. This is both unbecoming and unfair. In this case it is particularly a problem, as you then went on to suggest that our reporter somehow had a party supporting her in the House.
The clear implication here, from your words delivered under privilege, is that our correspondent is biased and unfair in her professional work and furthermore that this bias is of a political nature as her sister is a Labour Party senator.
This is a very serious, and indeed actionable claim, if made anywhere other than under Oireachtas privilege.
Your final remark, that Aileen O'Meara is well able to defend herself on RTÉ is, of course, also untrue. As a journalist working under the Broadcasting Acts, she is bound by those Acts to report in a balanced and fair way and is prohibited from using her position to advance a political point of view, even if she so wished. She cannot defend herself, especially as the manner in which you chose to attack her removes her option of seeking relief from the High Court.
Your intemperate remarks sit on the record of the House. The smears on the reputation of a highly respected journalist also remain there until such time as you choose to withdraw formally what you said.
I am writing to you and copying this letter to An Cathaoirleach as I believe it to be a grave matter and, despite the passage of over a month, there has been no move on your part to repair the damage you have caused.
Yours sincerely,
Cillian de Paor,
Managing Editor, News
RTÉ