Dáil statements

snubbleste

If a TD says something in the Dáil that is not true, and can be proven to be not true..what can be done?
This would not be a personal attack or allegation.
A hypothetical example: There were no boats in Dublin harbour last June.

I'm aware that what is said in the Dáil is under privilege. When the citizen writes to the TD concerned, there is no response. The Clerk of the Dáil does not have the authority to investigate.
What else can a citizen do about this?

coylemj

snubbleste wrote: »

If a TD says something in the Dáil that is not true, and can be proven to be not true..what can be done?

The short answer to your question is nothing and you won't find any forum in which you can prove or get an opportunity to show that what was said was untrue unless you do a Denis O'Brien on it and fork out tens of thousands of euros in a doomed attempt (via the courts) to rewrite the constitutional separation of powers.

Your only hope that some kind of 'investigation' might happen is to write to the Ceann Comhairle and possibly the chairman of the Dail committee on procedures and privileges. The Clerk of the Dail has no power to investigate TDs over what they say during Dail debates.

plodder

The Dail standing orders have procedures for dealing with defamation, which starts with the person affected making a complaint to the Ceann Comhairle, but that is specifically for defamation, not untrue statements in general.

lifeandtimes

If you really wanted to get the point out that it was incorrect (depending on the tds own knowledge) you get flyers printed up with your proof,showing you could tasted said to and we're ignored,hand them out,next step if you have DOBs cash is to rent some air time on tv and radio and let the country know,that would get the tds attention

But short of all that untrue statements do not not get corrected such as the example you have given as any tds could claim ignorance

Riskymove

snubbleste wrote: »

A hypothetical example: There were no boats in Dublin harbour last June.

If something inaccurate was said, the Dail record can be corrected

Depending on the circumstances, a TD misleading the house is usually something taken seriously enough

snubbleste

Riskymove wrote: »

If something inaccurate was said, the Dail record can be corrected
Depending on the circumstances, a TD misleading the house is usually something taken seriously enough

But who would one complain to?

Anyway, as suspected. Nothing can be done. Thanks for feedback.

Peregrinus

snubbleste wrote: »

But who would one complain to?

The TD who made the incorrect statement, usually.

Depending on the context, you could talk to one of the TDs for your own constituency. If the statement was made by a Minister, for example, and you felt there was a public interest in getting it corrected, you could ask your own TD to put down a suitably-worded question for the Minister, to give the Minister and opportunity and an incentive to correct what he had previously said.