Mr Niall OFlaherty and the Irish Mail On Sunday

The Press Ombudsman has decided that the Irish Mail on Sunday made an offer of sufficient remedial action to resolve a complaint made by Mr Niall O’Flaherty that an article published in that newspaper on 7 April 2013 breached the Code of Practice for Newspapers and Magazines.     

Mr O’Flaherty complained that four particular statements in the article were inaccurate, in breach of Principle 1 of the Code, and that the publication of these inaccuracies resulted in a breach of Principles 4 (Respect for Rights) and 9 (Children).  The newspaper said that article was based on a book written by the complainant, and on material published on the website of the book’s publishers.  However, it offered to publish, in its Corrections & Clarifications column, a correction and apology in respect of two of the statements complained about. 

The offer was turned down by Mr O’Flaherty, and the newspaper then amended its offer to include a correction and apology in respect of the four statements under complaint, to be published in a position equally prominent to the article complained of.   Mr O’Flaherty turned down the revised offer because, he said, the newspaper should publish a fresh article based on the events that occurred, and not on the events as had been reported inaccurately by the newspaper.

Principle 1.2 of the Code of Practice states that when a significant inaccuracy has been published, it shall be corrected promptly and with due prominence.  The newspaper’s offer to publish a correction of, and apology for, the significantly inaccurate statements complained about, and its offer to publish such a statement in an equally prominent position to that occupied by the article under complaint, was an offer of sufficient remedial action to resolve the complaint under Principle 1, and any consequential breach of Principles 4 and 9 of the Code of Practice.

25 September 2013