Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

On the defence question, defence will be included but a test will be established. It will be a balance between the public interest to know and the potential to cause or do harm. That is the determination that will have to be made. On the question about Shannon, if I was making the determination, I would not see that it could demonstrably cause more harm than the public right to know. That is my personal judgment. The same would apply to the prisons. Obviously, personal data about individuals would not be in the public domain. Section 23 states there can be a refusal to grant a request under section 7 of access to the record concerned where, in the opinion of the head, it would reasonably be expected to prejudice or impair the prevention, detection or investigation of offences. I will not go through the other criteria but they are listed in section 23.