Gregory and the Evening Herald

The Press Council of Ireland, at its meeting on 18th April 2008, decided to adjudicate an appeal by the Evening Herald against the decision of the Press Ombudsman on a complaint by Tony Gregory TD. It decided to hear the appeal on the grounds that this was the first case that had come before the Council that involved the important and complex issue of the privacy of a public figure, and the degree to which that privacy might justifiably be infringed in the public interest.

The Council gave full consideration to the circumstances and documentation related to the case and decided that the intrusion into the complainant’s home, especially at a time of illness and anxiety, and when other ways of contacting the complainant were available, was not justified either by the complainant’s public position as a Dáil deputy, or by the significance of the information being sought. It concluded that the practice of so-called “door-stepping”, especially when it involves the person’s private home, requires a high level of justification.

The decision of the Ombudsman in the case was upheld.