Bruton condemns `snide' remarks on Paralympic team

The Dail sharply criticised comments made by journalist Mary Ellen Synon in the Sunday Independent about the Irish Paralympic team.

The Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, who raised the matter on the Order of Business, congratulated the Irish athletes on their success, adding that all decent-thinking people in the House would dissociate themselves with "the snide and derogatory" remarks in a Sunday newspaper. "They seemed, in a very materialist and barren way, to devalue the achievement of these athletes because they cannot compete on a same exact level as able-bodied people.

The Labour leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, also congratulated the athletes, and condemned "the elitist and social-Darwinist observations " made by some people.

Mr Quinn said: "In the time-honoured tradition, could we evoke the old saying: Sunday newspapers please copy?"

Ms Jan O'Sullivan (Labour, Limerick East) said there had been a proposal to appoint an ombudsman for the newspaper industry to implement standards. She asked Mr Ahern, "in the context of the most hurtful and ignorant article in the Sunday Independent", if it was planned to implement the proposal.

The Taoiseach said there was no legislation promised on the matter but advised Ms O'Sullivan to table a question, given that there could have been discussions about it.