Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. The first issue is cost, which comprises two separate aspects. The first is an issue of principle which says that as one is availing of a public service, it is reasonable that one contributes to the cost of or pays for the service. I contend that such a measure amounts to double taxation because we will already have paid for the service through taxes. One would not expect a garda to say to a person who reports a crime that the additional work will incur a fee, or a social welfare officer to tell the person who goes into a social welfare office to get something processed that he or she will have to pay a fee. It is fine that the Minister and I disagree about the matter. In my opinion, access by citizens to information held by public bodies for which they already pay is a service that has already been paid for. I would prefer to see a regime under which the only additional cost - as in international best practice - is a that of reproduction, be it photocopying or whatever. That is simply my opinion.

The second aspect is quite relevant, regardless of one's opinion. Dr. Nat O'Connor has provided analysis that suggests that the revenue generated by charging fees is used entirely to administer their collection. Does the Minister have data on the total projected revenue from the proposed fee structure? Has it been compared with the total estimated cost of administering the fee structure?