Decided by the Press Ombudsman

The Press Ombudsman has decided that The Irish Times made an offer of  sufficient remedial action to resolve  a complaint by Mr Harry Browne that the newspaper’s  review of a book he wrote about Bono, published on 13 June 2013, contained erroneous statements (Principle 1), comment or conjecture reported as fact (Principle 2) and unfounded accusations (Principle 4).   A further complaint under Principle 4 was not upheld.

The Press Ombudsman has upheld a complaint made by the editor of the Echo Newspaper Group, Mr Tom Mooney, that articles published on 26 March 2013 in the Wexford People, the New Ross Standard, the Enniscorthy Guardian and the Gorey Guardian (all published by The People Newspapers Limited)   were in breach of Principles 1 (Truth and Accuracy)  and 7 (Court Reporting) of the Code of Practice for Newspapers and Magazines.

The Press Ombudsman has decided that an article published in the Irish Mail on Sunday was in breach of the Code of Practice for Newspapers and Magazines because it included a statement about the complainant, the Clerk of Dáil Éireann, Mr Kieran Coughlan, that was, on the balance of the evidence, significantly inaccurate, and because the newspaper’s offer of redress did not, in the opinion of the Press Ombudsman, meet the requirements of the Code in this case.

The Press Ombudsman has decided that the publication of a photograph in the Evening Herald in March 2013, about which a complaint was made, was not a breach of the Code of Practice for Newspapers and Magazines.

The Press Ombudsman has decided to uphold a complaint by Mr Alan Dignam that an article published in the Sunday World on 16 December 2012 was in breach of Principle 1 (Truth and Accuracy) of the Code of Practice for Newspapers and Magazines.

The Press Ombudsman has decided to uphold a complaint by Mr Alan Dignam that an article published in the Sunday World on 10 June 2012 was in breach of Principle 7 (Court Reporting) of the Code of Practice for Newspapers and Magazines.

The Press Ombudsman has decided that the action of  The Sunday Times in publishing a letter from  Mr Dermot Desmond was insufficient to remedy a breach of Principle 1 (Truth and Accuracy)  of the Code of Practice for Newspapers and Magazines  in respect of  a specific and significant inaccuracy  in an  article published  on 16 December 2012, but not to uphold his complaint about other aspects of this article, or about the editing of his letter in other respects,  under Principles 1, 2 (Distinguishing Fact and Comment)  and 3 (Fairness and Honesty)  of the Code of Practice.

The Press Ombudsman has decided not to uphold a complaint by Mr Brian Gallagher, a partner in the legal firm of Gallagher Shatter, that an article published in the Sunday Independent on 17 February 2013 was in breach of Principles 1.1 (Truth and Accuracy) and 3.1 (Fairness and Honesty) of the Code of Practice for Newspapers and Magazines.