Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell has denied that that the Government will be able to fire the press council to be set up under new Defamation Bill.
McDowell:
Speaking on RTE's Morning Ireland, Mr McDowell said, "if you look at the legislation, what is involved is the print industry getting together and establishing a press council which conforms with basic minimum criteria which will be independent of government."
Mr McDowell was responding to claims by Ger Colleran, editor of the Starnewspaper that the Government will have control over the press council.
"The membership of the press council has to be in accordance with the Minister's views and the Oireachtas views. It has also to operate and be recognised in accordance with the Minister's declaration and a declaration of the Oireachtas," Mr Colleran said.
"It appears from the legislation minister can effectively sack the press council."
However, Mr McDowell admitted that the Government had the power to say that the council ceased to exist if it did not comply with the standards set out in the act.
"I can't dissolve anything. I can say it no longer complies with the minimum requirements set out and that as far as the Oireachtas is concerned, it no longer operates as a press council. But it can continue to exist and it can do whatever it likes. It can continue to meet," he said.
Mr Colleran described the new legislation as "a danger to press freedom, its a danger to democratic debate, to the whole freedom of expression".
Mr McDowell dismissed this criticism and said the new Bill has been welcomed by the National Newspapers of Ireland and the National Union of Journalists.
"I am not appointing a state press council to control the media, I am facilitating the media by saying if they establish a press council, which is independent or required to be independent that I will arrange for its recognition in law," he said.