175. Deputy Seamus Kirk asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if there have been any prosecutions or convictions under section 36 of the Defamation Act 2009. [1617/16]

The Garda Síochána Act 2005 makes provision for the compilation and publication of crime statistics by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical agency, and the CSO has established a dedicated unit for this purpose.

I have requested the CSO to provide the available statistical information directly to the Deputy.