Gerard Murphy (Cork North West, Fine Gael)

I support Deputy Costello's amendment. In recent weeks, this matter arose on Committee Stage of another Bill. The Minister of State spoke about standard provisions in a Bill — this should be a standard provision in every Bill and for every authority that is established. A number of exceptions could be discussed but the applicability of the Freedom of Information Act 1997 to all authorities and legislation should be standard practice.

There is a growing feeling that since the restrictions were placed on the Freedom of Information Act, activities have been conducted in such a way as to prevent people finding information on them. It is a significant issue for the general public, as the Act provides security for people in that they can discover exactly what is happening within a particular service or Department. I do not see why this essential provision should not be included in the Bill.

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