Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024: From the Seanad
Dail Éireann — 2026-02-11
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Jim O'Callaghan (FF), Dublin Bay South

Amendments Nos. 4 and 5 amend section 13 of the Bill, which introduces a defence for broadcasters where a defamatory statement is made during a live broadcast, where the broadcaster can demonstrate that it took reasonable and prudent steps to prevent the publication of such a statement.
Amendment No. 4 addresses a concern raised in the Seanad as to whether the defence would apply in circumstances where there is a brief delay in transmission of the broadcast. It is not the intention that a short delay in transmission in itself would mean that a broadcaster could not rely on the defence. Amendment No. 4, therefore, provides that for the avoidance of doubt the defence shall not fail by reason only of the live programme concerned having been broadcast with a minimal delay.
Amendment No. 5 is a consequential amendment which renumbers the existing subsection (3) of the proposed live broadcast defence. I recommend these amendments to the House.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-11/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:02+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-11