Professor Maeve McDonagh Appointed to the Press Council of Ireland
Professor Maeve McDonagh Appointed to the Press Council of Ireland
Professor Maeve McDonagh has been appointed as an independent member of the new Press Council of Ireland. Professor McDonagh is a qualified solicitor and is currently an Associate Professor of Law in UCC. Through her research and teaching she has extensive experience in the areas of freedom of information law, privacy/data protection law and human rights law. She has published a number of books, academic papers, conference reports and newspaper articles focusing on these areas. Professor McDonagh is also a member of the Freedom of Information Users Advisory Committee.
Professor McDonagh is one of seven independent members of the Press Council, chosen to reflect the various strands of Irish society and drawn from suitably qualified persons representative of a broad spectrum of civic society.
The proposal to establish a Press Council originated from the Report of the Legal Advisory Group on Defamation in 2003. The Press Council will shortly appoint a Press Ombudsman. The Objectives of the Office of Press Ombudsman and Press Council of Ireland are:
- to provide the public with an independent forum for resolving complaints against the press,
- to resolve all complaints quickly, amicably and free of charge,
- to maintain the high standards of Irish journalism and journalistic ethics.
Further information can be obtained from the Press Council’s website.