Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

In my experience, the National Roads Authority resists efforts to have it appear before the Committees on Transport and Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht. I am sure Deputy Fleming will agree. The Minister should be mindful that the NRA is not subject to freedom of information inquires and is also extraordinary resistant to coming before Oireachtas committees. HomeBond has also refused invitations to appear before the committee Committee on the Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht. I accept the company may be a type of hybrid entity and would have been compelled to come before the committee if the constitutional amendment had been passed. The National Roads Authority, on the other hand, is a publicly funded agency. It provided the shortest presentation to a committee that I have encountered in my time in the House. Its opening statement to a meeting was on one page and its officials repeatedly referred to this statement in subsequent discussions with members. Deputy Fleming chaired the Committee on the Environment, Heritage and Local Government at the time.

If the Minister wishes to exclude the National Roads Authority and other bodies from the scope of the Freedom of Information Act, he must consider the matter of compellibility powers in the existing committee structure.