The Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny, has attacked the Government's plans for a statutory press council, saying the council will be wide open to political interference because the Government will decide its membership.
Mr Kenny told Fine Gael members in Galway last night that the plan was unacceptable.
In speech ahead of the party's national conference today, he said the restrictions on the Freedom of Information Act were part of a systematic and sinister sequence of attacks designed to inhibit the media.
The party is expecting 1,000 delegates at the conference, where guest speakers will debate the economy, the health services and consumers with its spokespeople. The event is not an ard-fheis, so delegates will not table motions. However, Mr Kenny's speech tonight will be broadcast live on RTÉ television.
Guest speakers include the general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Mr David Begg, who has defended the benchmarking pay deal opposed by Fine Gael.
The conference will also hear from the bank and insurance industries and Prof Gerry Loftus of the Hanly taskforce on reform of hospital services and medical staffing.
Mr Kenny used his opening address to attack the package proposed by the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, in which reform of the libel laws was linked to the creation of a statutory press council.
He favoured the establishment of a press council, but one with an independent chair, whose membership would be representative of the social partners and editors, journalists and publishers.
"The press council should set about developing appropriate codes of practice and should appoint a press ombudsman who would be totally independent, have full security of tenure and have a properly funded office with the remit of enforcing codes of practice developed by the press council."
Mr Kenny said the ombudsman would need some statutory underpinning to ensure that the role was effective, but he ruled out a structure in which appointments to the press council would be in the gift of the Government.
It was of crucial importance not to introduce a system that militated against the basic role of the press, he said. "Given the vital importance of the free press in a democratic society, great care and sensitivity has to be exercised in relation to defining the rules governing this industry.
"An independent press complaint system, which has some statutory underpinning, represents the best way forward."
The Fine Gael leader said he did not dispute that some elements of the media were capable of being reckless in relation to facts and the reputation of individuals.
"For this reason, there was a growing realisation of the need for some accountability and regulation.
"There is a general consensus that the currently unregulated environment in which the press operates is no longer sustainable. An effective and efficient mechanism for regulating the press and for allowing legitimate complaints to be dealt with must be instituted."
He attacked Mr McDowell for proposing restrictions on gardaí who communicate with journalists.
"In recent weeks, the Minister for Justice has also criticised the media for what he perceives to be a lack of balance in their reporting," he said.
"The threat of press council appointed by the Government is just the latest act of a Government that is determined to inhibit incisive, investigative work and comment.
"Taken together, all of these assaults on the media and its ability to report and comment should be seen as a backdrop to the Minister for Justice's proposal to appoint a statutory press council to regulate the industry."
