Sinn Féin 'has no intention of responding to inaccurate suggestions' by journalists
The Irish Examiner was told that Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald "has no intention of responding to inaccurate suggestions contained therein".
Sinn Féin has hit back following the publication of a letter from the organisation Reporters Without Borders (RSF) over its concerns about the "methods of intimidation" being taken by it through "repeated legal actions" against media and journalists.
In a joint letter to Mary Lou McDonald signed by 11 media organisations, the RSF expressed its alarm after a Sinn Féín TD lodged defamation proceedings against the Irish Times and its political correspondent Harry McGee.
The claim was lodged in the High Court over the reporting of a comment made by Chris Andrews the day after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7. The article in question included comments made by Mr Andrews on social media about the events in Israel, including his responses to a post on X, formerly Twitter, by Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the EU Commission.
However, in a letter on Friday, the RSF said politicians should seek to avoid resorting to the courts except in “the most egregious of circumstances”. This included taking advantage of the Press Ombudsman and the Press Council system.
On Tuesday, a spokesperson for Sinn Féin told the that while Ms McDonald has received the letter, she "has no intention of responding to inaccurate suggestions contained therein".
"All citizens have the right to protect their name and reputation, and such fundamental legal rights in no way cut across or undermine robust political debate, which happens every single day of the week in the Oireachtas and in the media," the spokesperson said.
"It is not unreasonable for these debates to be based on fact and truth."
The letter from the RSF said that Ms McDonald should "be aware" that the legal actions that Sinn Féín members are "currently taking against the media have the hallmarks of SLAPPs (strategic lawsuits against public participation)".
"As you know, SLAPPs are a form of legal harassment used by powerful people to intimidate and silence public watchdogs, including journalists,” the RSF added.
“The fact that Sinn Féin’s most recent legal action has been filed against journalist Harry McGee—as an individual—gives credence to the idea that it is intended to chill public interest speech. Moreover, the number of legal actions that have been filed by Sinn Féin members points to a co-ordinated campaign against the media in Ireland.”
The Sinn Féin spokesperson added that "it is interesting" that the same concerns expressed in the letter are not being expressed to Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael.
"Given dozens of current and former Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael representatives have taken or threatened legal action against media outlets. The authors of this letter seem to be suggesting that a different standard should apply to Sinn Féin representatives in defending their good names," the spokesperson added.
