Decided by the Press Ombudsman

The Press Ombudsman has decided to uphold a complaint by a parent that an article published in the Sligo Weekender breached Principle 5 (Privacy) and Principle 9 (Children) of the Code of Practice.  Other parts of the complaint were not upheld.

The Press Ombudsman has decided not to uphold a complaint by Mr Kieran Coughlan that an article published in the Irish Daily Mail on 2 December 2014 breached  Principle 1 (Truth and Accuracy), Principle 2 (Distinguishing fact and Comment), Principle 3 (Fairness and Honesty) and Principle 4 (Respect for Rights) of the Code of Practice for Newspapers and Magazines.

The Press Ombudsman has decided not to uphold a complaint by Mr Hugh McGrath, Senior Executive Engineer with Clare County Council, that an article published in the Clare Champion on l9 December 2014 breached Principle 1 (Truth and Accuracy), Principle 2 (Distinguishing Fact and Comment), Principle 3 (Fairness and Honesty), Principle 4 (Respect for Rights) and Principle 5 (Privacy) of the Code of Practice for Newspapers and Magazines

The Sunday World (11 January 2015) reported on a funeral and stated that Mr Sean Fitzgerald was among a number of other named people who had “paid their respects”.  Mr Fitzgerald wrote to the editor of the Sunday World stating that he had not attended the wake, the funeral mass or the cremation of the deceased and that he was not amongst the mourners. Mr Fitzgerald did not receive a reply form the Sunday World. In a subsequent letter to the Press Ombudsman’s Office Mr Fitzgerald claimed that the report had breached Principle 1 (Truth and Accuracy), Principle 3 (Fairness and Honesty), Principle 4 (Respect for Rights) and Principle 8 (Prejudice) of the Code of Practice for Newspapers and Magazines.

In December 2014 the Press Ombudsman upheld a complaint by Ms Marion Coy concerning a report into an inquiry at Galway Mayo Institute of Technology.  The newspaper appealed the decision to the Press Council of Ireland. In January 2015 the Council rejected the newspaper’s appeal and affirmed the decision of the Press Ombudsman. On 10 April 2015 the Galway City Tribune published the decision of the Press Ombudsman and the Press Council.

The Press Ombudsman has decided to uphold a complaint made by the parents of a child that Independent.ie breached Principles 1 (Truth and Accuracy) and 9 (Children) of the Code of Practice for Newspapers and Magazines.

The Press Ombudsman has upheld a complaint by Mr Gerry Adams TD under Principle 1 (Truth and Accuracy) of the Code of Practice for Newspapers and Magazines.   

On 18 December 2014 the Irish Examiner published a report on opposition to the development of the GAA’s Casement Park in Belfast.  Some local residents were opposing planning permission for a much larger stadium being built on the site of the existing stadium. Mooreland and Owenvarragh Residents Association complained that the article breached Principle 1 (Truth and Accuracy) and Principle 2 (Distinguishing Fact and Comment) of the Code of Practice for Newspapers and Magazines. The Residents Association complaint included a claim that the article contained three significant inaccuracies: a statement that opposition to the redevelopment had been whittled down to “about a dozen individuals”,   an alleged acceptance of a compensation package by “the vast majority of residents”, and reference to an alleged sliding scale of compensation. The Association also complained that the article failed to distinguish between fact and comment and that the reporter should have sought a response from the Association in advance of publication.

The Press Ombudsman has upheld a complaint by a woman under Principles 4, 5 and 9 of the Code of Practice for Newspapers and Magazines.

On 3 March 2015 the Leinster Express under the heading “Facebook issues of the week …” published a post by Mr Darragh Headen.    The post was accompanied by a photograph taken from Mr Headen’s Facebook profile page. The photograph was composed of an image of Mr Headen with his two small children sitting on his lap. He wrote to the newspaper saying that he had not given permission for his children’s photograph to be published.