Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent)
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The changes to the new FOI Bill should be something very positive and there are some positive things in the Bill. However, the proposed amendments that were issued on Friday have been met with the reaction by experts in the field - sensible professionals such as the NUJ, lawyers and academics - that they potentially signal the death of freedom of information in Ireland. We do not know whether that is true but I believe what they are saying, across the board, is sufficiently serious that we should pause Committee Stage. As a committee and having done a lot of work on this, we should invite those like the NUJ, academics and other experts back in to discuss the potential of the proposed changes to the fees structure. This is very serious. The experts are telling us this will eradicate meaningful FOI in Ireland. We, as a committee, have a responsibility to listen to them, to be informed by them and then to re-engage with the Minister on this Committee Stage. I propose that we would invite them in and then re-engage on Committee Stage at the earliest possible opportunity.