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Last night, Michael McDowell spoke at the launch of a book by Elaine Byrne on corruption in Ireland. During his speech, he spoke about media ownership in Ireland. This is an abridged version of what he said:
IT SEEMS TO me that two issues arise from a consideration of this book. The first of those issues is the way in which we establish and vindicate standards by which our society is to be run and judged.
The second major issue is how we respond as a society to proven departures from those standards.
As to the first issue – the establishment and vindication of standards – it is not enough to investigate by retrospective civil inquiries cases of suspected wrong-doing. Such inquiries are necessary but they are not sufficent.
We need significant deterrents to wrong-doing.
If in politics, “daylight is the best disinfectant”, the role of our media cannot be ignored. The printed press is facing a technological challenge to its very existence. It now seems to be becoming the battleground for thought control as well.
As a society, and as a democracy, we need to face up to the challenge to freedom and liberty which stems from the total absence of laws diversifying the media and their ownership.
Nobody is investing in the print media these days for profit; on the contrary, it seems plain as a pikestaff that investment is driven by considerations of social, political and editorial control and influence.
Our media must be diverse in their ownership and editorial policy. They are not trophy possession for the surplus cash of plutocrats and oligarchs like large hotels and Premiership football clubs.
The Leveson Inquiry, even as we speak, shows how media control and the political system interact, and underlines the mortal dangers to democracy of surrendering ownership and control of our media to the agendas of those with demonstrated low standards coupled with ruthlessness and greed.
In Ireland, the oligarchs are on the march.
They have some allies, alas, in high places who fete them as much as they can get away with while feigning distance from them.
It was interesting to note recently how some who hold office holders took pains to condemn hostile comments made in the past about the Mahon Tribunal while posing for pictures and slapping the backs and whispering in the ears of those who subjected the Moriarty Tribunal to a sustained campaign of vilification and abuse.
If the two parties in our Government cannot unite in challenging on our behalf the culture of impunity fostered by the rich and powerful, they will deserve the consequences. As British politicians are hourly learning to their pain at Leveson, snuggling up to the oligarchs doesn’t seem so good the morning after.
I want to finish by expressing my admiration for the bravery of those who speak truth to power and wealth.
Many journalists, editors and commentators put their professional duties and convictions before their own self-interest. Some alas do not.
Elaine Byrne is brave in her commentary and research.
So also is my good friend, Sam Smyth. Sam has paid a heavy price for standing up for decency in journalism. Some of you will recall that his radio show was closed down to make way for something else in a programme that doesn’t immediately spring to mind. We were assured, of course, that it had “nothing to do” with his coverage of the Moriarty Tribunal.
But those of you who care to Google broadsheet.ie and the words “smoking gun” and “editorial interference” may form a different view of the real agendas already at work. Strange too that Sam personally (and not his paper or the broadcasters) is being sued in the courts. Those cases are obviously not about compensation – they are about silencing an investigative journalist without whose work we would never have known the truth about the former Minister and the coming Oligarch in the first place.
Michael McDowell is a Senior Counsel and former Minister for Justice.
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Nothing put pride in and respect for those serving, stay save
@Terry Brophy: I agree with you
@Terry Brophy: unsung hero’s!!!
I served there during the last invasion of Lebanon and us Irish lads did slow down the progress of the IDF which madly frustrated them
@Paul1st: of course you did.
The UN peace keeping missions are a great idea, unfortunately the UN do not offer proper support or mandate to actually enforce the peacekeeping. From people I’ve known who have come back from the Lebanon the Irish are doing a great job under terrible conditions. It is very frustrating for the soldiers not to be allowed or equipped to actually enforce the their mission.
@R kelly: UN forces have behaved impeccably in the face of Israeli aggression. They must stay and observe. Israel doesn’t want to world to know what they’re doing. The most immoral army on Earth.
@Anthony Curran: really ? Have the Israelis been firing 1000s of rockets at villages in the last year ? Or was it Hezbollah ? No doubt what side you are on
@frank dowling: The side of humanity. Any idea why Hezbollah were firing those rockets Frank? Answers on a postcard to genocide competition……
@Anthony Curran: genocide … yawn. It’s a war. Tell us why Hezbollah are firing rockets yourself so. You don’t have to give me any history lessons.
Just tell me why Hezbollah are firing rockets at Israël if they don’t want war, death, destruction, martyrs, mayhem and ultimately the end of the western way of life
@Anthony Curran: I agree with you, the Irish army are behaving bravely and professionally… but I know it can be very frustrating for the men and women observing the horrible behaviour of the IDF without the power, equipment or mandate to actually intervene…I know from people who have served, that the IDF just ignore the Irish/UN checkpoints… and do what they like
@R kelly: so you’re saying there’s not much point in them being there ?
I think though that you are being disingenuous.
@R kelly: Zionism: Being indoctrinated from childhood that you’re God’s chosen people and this land is your land, even though you have no ancestral link to it.
@offside again: The western way of life? Would that be the same western way of life that told us Saddam had WMDs? The same western way of life that slaughtered 1 million Iraqis? The same western way of life that lookss the other way when the Netanyahu regime is blowing little kids to pieces? Some way of life.
@frank dowling: Their is history to the place in case you don’t know or maybe don’t want to know long long before Hezbollah ever came into existence, go educate yourself on the history between the Israeli state and the Palestinian people with the blinkers removed of course.
@frank dowling: no they have just been aiming at hospitals, journalists and medical workers
@frank dowling: The BBC produced a very clear barchart for comparison which can be googled as I can’t post it here. It illustrate s the ratio of rocket fire exchanged between Israel and Lebanon. It averages out at 80:20 . With the exception of Oct 8 the only day that Hezbollah fired more rockets. Israel has been firing ,every day, 4 times as many rockets as Hezbollah has fired. As always, Israel like to pretend they are the innocent victims but in reality they just don’t like it when people defend themselves.
@offside again: The Jewish people want the western way of life?
Or just the Jewish way?
Professional soldiers doing the job professionally!
@J B: Quiet down, you wouldn’t have it in you and clearly know fk all about service! What is it with people like you and your pathological need to drag everyone down?
@J B: I find it hard to believe an ex-er would be such a dck when referring to those who serve.
@J B: you’d cack a load in your jocks if someone let off a fire cracker beside you let alone do a tour of duty in Lebanon. I’m not in the Defence Forces I tried for the Navy many years ago but was ruled out due to being colour blind. But big respect to all the Defence forces on active duty.
@J B: any body who knows anything about the middle East will disregard your remark.Not every body is as shallow as you.
@J B: maybe you were. Many choose that career for other reasons and you know it.
Well done lads fair play
Why is Ireland getting involved with what’s going on over there? It’s nothing to do with us.
@Daniel Skelton: supposed to be keeping the peace which there doesn’t seem to be much of.
@Daniel Skelton: we? Sure you’re about as Irish as Che Guevara.
@Daniel Skelton: Irish Defence Forces in Lebanon for decades. They are loved by the Lebanese people. This not the first time the Israelis have attacked areas protected by Irish Forces. In past they even occupied a school that was been shelled to get Israelis to stop.
@Daniel Skelton: no?
@Daniel Skelton: I don’t know Dan. Maybe because the correct thing to do is to keep our brave UN peacekeepers on the border with Israel in order to help prevent the Netanyahu regime doing in south Lebanon what they’ve done in Gaza.
@mcleixlip: small fact Che Guevara had Irish ancestry because his father was Irish, Che Guevara full name was Ernesto Guevara Lynch.
@Nemethon: how did ‘lynching’ become a saying ?
@offside again: the Mayor of Galway, a Lynch by name, hung his son for murder in 1493. See here; https://www.visitgalway.ie/explore/heritage-and-history/historic-buildings-and-places/lynch-memorial-window/
Who will rebuild the damaged UNIFIL compounds and equipment? Who will rebuild damaged buildings and infrastructure in Beirut and elsewhere in Lebanon?
Sanctions and boycott Israeli goods and services as they are not fighting a war there are annihilating populations.
At the moment there is no peace to protect, so why stay there in danger for what? Whenever peace is agreed there UN go back in and help to maintain it, the Irish soldiers there are the best but what can they do this brutal war?
What’s the point of our brave men being at risk if they aren’t capable of implementing article 1701 .. the Arab terrorists are walking all over them
@frank dowling: Are the Arabs firing at UN positions? Or is it those bastions of morality, the IDF?
Lebanon is being systematically destroyed by the Israelis, therefore the premise that the UN are keeping the peace is absolutely laughable. Get the Irish soldiers home before they get caught up in the mass genocide being carried out by the IDF.
@Mike Dunne: By being in Lebanon the UNIFIL troops are impeding the IDF from total annexation of the territory. They have fired on the UNIFIL cameras as they don’t want evidence of their war crimes. They are absolute savages, not soldiers.
@Con Cussed: No, the only thing they do is protecting terrorists. That’s the goal of the UN.
They shouldn’t be here. Totally useless, like the Irish military.
Why are they there again?
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