The Government has unveiled the appointment of a new chairman and membership of the Censorship of Publications Board to deal with a complaint about a book written by Minister for Justice Alan Shatter 25 years ago.
The move comes after the novel Laura , which carries the subheading A Novel You Will Never Forget , became the only publication to be referred to the board in the last five years.
A complaint to the board alleged that the novel, written by Mr Shatter in 1989 while he was still a backbencher, was “obscene”.
The book was subsequently republished by Poolbeg Press last year.
The complaint prompted the Minister for Justice to transfer responsibility for censorship out of his department in case there was any suggestion of a conflict of interest.
The board, which convenes only when it is required, last met in June 2008. No publications have been banned by it since 2003.
The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan, yesterday announced a new chairman designate, Cork-based solicitor Shane McCarthy, and signalled his intention to appoint four new members to the Censorship of Publications Board.
The four proposed appointees to the board are: Dr Noëlle O’Connor, a senior lecturer at Limerick Institute of Technology; Sinéad Prunty, a barrister; Philip Moynihan, a former Garda superintendent; and Georgina Byrne, who is South Dublin County Librarian.