Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Again, there is no requirement on the agency to publish these reports. The amendment is about providing for transparency. The issues of commercial sensitivity can be dealt with. Freedom of information legislation has different rules which allow such information to be redacted. However, there should be some reports on performance.

It would be better for decision -making because the agency will manage State assets. It is important for proper parliamentary scrutiny and empowering not just the 15 Cabinet members but other Members with the best information available without jeopardising the groups' commercial sensitivity. Performance reports should be able to be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas in some way. Otherwise it is nonsense, because Oireachtas debates would take place without any knowledge as to how the groups are performing. This is the kind of work Oireachtas committees should do. There should be performance reports. The structures to redact commercially sensitive matters can be written into legislation. These bodies should submit performance reports and the Oireachtas and its committees should be able to scrutinise them.