Here’s the reaction of Irish Examiner columnist Alison O’Connor to Communications Minister Alex White’s interview on Drivetime.
It seems absolutely daft that he could keep a straight face during that interview. You know, here’s what we’ll do, here’s how it will be and yet the elephant in the room is the fact that we already have the incredibly dominant force in Irish media in the figure of Denis O’Brien.
O’Connor goes on to make a very relevant point which further confirms the fakery of this legislation.
What’s going to happen when somebody is refused a merger? Surely they’re going to point to the overwhelming percentage of media already held by O’Brien and claim – what about him, look at all the media he’s been allowed to buy up.
What’s going to happen when somebody is refused a merger?
Well in that case, O’Brien for example will take a case to court to restrain the Government. It will probably take a couple of years and go all the way to the Supreme Court and the Government will lose and the only winners will be a cadre of lawyers who will be paid millions in fees.
Incidentally, speaking of court cases and fees, every other day now there are huge settlements made in court against the HSE for medical negligence cases. These seem to be escalating in number. While I have sympathy with those folk affected by such negligence it seems to point to a culture of carelessness or incompetence in the medical system.