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Dáil
‹ Order of Business

Media bias and public standards

Summary

Michael Healy-Rae asked whether alleged favourable newspaper coverage of political candidates would be addressed in the public sector standards Bill. The Ceann Comhairle redirected the press complaint, while the Taoiseach indicated the Bill was expected later in the year.

Where one public representative receives a massive public relations boost from one newspaper whereby week after week two or three pages of positive reporting for one candidate and negative reporting for the other-----

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Seán Barrett An Ceann Comhairle Fine Gael

Hold on a minute. The Deputy should take that up with the press council.

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------will this be dealt with in the public sector standards Bill? If the Taoiseach cannot answer this, it is a pity that the Tánaiste in waiting, as christened by the Sunday Independent "wonder woman", is not the Taoiseach's candidate-----

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Seán Barrett An Ceann Comhairle Fine Gael

What Bill is the Deputy talking about?

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The Bill is the public sector standards Bill.

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Seán Barrett An Ceann Comhairle Fine Gael

The public sector standards Bill.

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Some of the candidates-----

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Seán Barrett An Ceann Comhairle Fine Gael

That is all right. We will find out for the Deputy.

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-----in the recent contest to be the leader of the Labour Party were dealt with very harshly by one newspaper and there were reams of paper for wonder woman.

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Enda Kenny The Taoiseach Fine Gael

I know the Deputy is interested in this. If I recall correctly, the Deputy, himself, received massive publicity for answering telephone calls or making bills of them. He got more publicity out of that than people did for years of hard labour here.

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The Taoiseach did not answer the question.

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Seán Barrett An Ceann Comhairle Fine Gael

I call Deputy Kitt.

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Now the Deputy is holding the Minister in the Chamber.

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Enda Kenny The Taoiseach Fine Gael

Later this year.

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The new Tánaiste will answer that question.

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