The Ditch has disputed remarks by the Tánaiste Micheál Martin about the news website.
Roman Shortall, a co-founder of the Ditch, said he was "surprised" by criticisms from the Tánaiste who said the site had created a "toxic" culture online.
Mr Shortall said: "Our reporting over the last 12 months has led to the resignation of the deputy chairman of An Bord Pleanála and two ministers in Micheál Martin's government I don't think that could be considered creating a toxic environment. It is called holding power to account."
He said Chay Bowes, who had been named by Micheál Martin in the Dáil yesterday, has not been a director of The Ditch for nearly a year.
He said Paddy Cosgrave was not a shareholder in The Ditch but Mr Cosgrave's company Web Summit had provided funding as part of its "support for Irish journalism".
Earlier, the Tánaiste repeated comments he had made in the Dáil yesterday about The Ditch.
Mr Martin was speaking in defence of Niall Collins when criticising The Ditch, which first reported details of the land sale.
"The selective and distorted way stories are presented leaves an awful lot to be desired," Mr Martin told the Dáil chamber yesterday.
He said the website "was not an independent media platform".
People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy said the Tánaiste's comments were a "desperate attempt by the Government to prevent real accountability" in the matter.
Speaking today, Mr Martin said the reporting on The Ditch was leading to a "toxic atmosphere online in politics".
He said he believed in "respectful debate" but said "we have not got that from some of these platforms".
He claimed the original reporting by The Ditch made it look as if Minister Niall Collins had voted on the sale of the land to his wife.
When asked about stories in The Ditch which had resulted in two other ministers resigning he said those ministers "took those decisions themselves".
"There was no pressure from my side for politicians to retire."
"I don't believe what is happening through this publication and through all of the online activity is good for politics," said Mr Martin.
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The Irish Secretary of the National Union of Journalists described the comments made in the Dáil yesterday by Mr Martin about The Ditch as "unwelcome and unedifying".
Seamus Dooley said he was "extremely disappointed to see Dáil privilege used by the Tánaiste to attack a news website in this way".
He said the media operates within the constraints of extremely restrictive defamation laws and politicians who wish to challenge the accuracy, efficacy or bona fides of any journalist or media organisation should do so within the same constraints and without the protection of Oireachtas privilege.
Murphy complains to SIPO over Niall Collins land sale
Meanwhile, People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy has made a complaint to the Standards in Public Office Commission over the sale of land to the wife of Minister of State Niall Collins from Limerick Council in 2008.
Mr Collins made a Dáil statement on the matter yesterday afternoon, where he told TDs that he did not break any law in relation to the sale of land in Limerick.
In the short statement, Mr Collins, who is Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education, said that he was in absolutely no doubt that his actions in relation to the matter were legally correct.
He took no questions from opposition TDs.
Speaking on RTE's Morning Ireland, Mr Murphy said it would take "a long time" for SIPO to reach a conclusion on his proposed complaint, but he said he would be hopeful it return a finding of "wrongdoing or breach of the code of conduct".
He said Mr Collins made an "implicit admission that he knew that his wife had expressed interest in the land" by stating yesterday in the Dáil that in hindsight, it would have been better if he had not attended a council meeting in January 2007, when the decision was made to put the land up for sale.
'It's open and shut. It’s black and white. He clearly broke the Code of Conduct for Councillors,’ People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy said on @morningireland after Junior Minister Niall Collins told the Dáil that he did not break any law | Read more: https://t.co/jZge7My7C8 pic.twitter.com/DlS679q34D
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) April 28, 2023
"For him to say it is an implicit admission that he knew that his wife had expressed interest in the land when he participated in the decision to put the land up for sale," Mr Murphy said.
He added that it was "incredible" and "bizarre" that Taoiseach Leo Varadkar would describe questions taken by a minister from opposition TDs after his statement as a possible "kanagroo court".
The Government, he says, is "out to confuse and distract from the essence of what happened," adding that he believes that it is "open and shut" that Mr Collins broke the Local Government Act.
"You have to wonder whether a Government that has lost four ministers at this stage due to various scandals - this would have been the fifth - doesn't have an interest in actually reforming the law," the Dublin South-West TD said.
People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy said it was "shocking" to see protestors outside his home earlier this week | Read more: https://t.co/0BUQdWrRgT pic.twitter.com/DLjC9U5IFu
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) April 28, 2023
Murphy shocked by protesters at home
Meanwhile Mr Murphy said it was "shocking" to see protestors outside his home earlier this week.
"These were far right protesters. They were carrying placards, opposing refugees.
"They were giving out leaflets opposing our bill to insert the right to housing in the Constitution with kind of a conspiracy theory saying that people's homes are going to be taken, which is obviously complete nonsense," he said.
Additional reporting Sinead Crowley
