The Communications Minister has no authority to order Coimisiún na Meán to carry out a review of media coverage of last week’s fuel protests, according to Social Democrats TD Sinéad Gibney.
Deputy Gibney, who is the party’s media spokesperson, said:
Minister Patrick O’Donovan’s call on Coimisiún na Meán to review coverage of last week’s fuel protests represents serious overreach and must be called out for the blatant attack on media independence that it is.
“It’s hardly surprising that the minister’s extraordinary Trumpian remarks yesterday have been widely condemned, with the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) rightly describing his comments as ‘sinister and deeply disturbing’.
“Media experts have also raised doubts about Minister O’Donovan’s right to seek such a narrowly focused review from the regulator under the Broadcasting Act. Given that the minister is the one with an axe to grind with the media, this looks like a clumsy and ill-conceived attempt by him to use Coimisiún na Meán – which must be respected as an independent body – to advance his own petty agenda.
“The minister must now concede that he does not have any authority under the Broadcasting Act to bring his self-serving complaint to the media regulator.
“He must also withdraw his call for a review, which will only waste the commission’s time and resources, and stop blaming the media for the Government’s botched handling of last week’s protests.
“A cornerstone of any strong democracy is a free media. This pathetic attempt by a minister to shoot the messenger and deflect blame for the Government’s disastrous handling of the fuel protest crisis must be resisted.”
April 14, 2026