Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I do not accept that the fees structure is punitive. The Deputy does not seem to have any evidence to suggest it is punitive. As I said, the fee for medical card holders is €35 and €50. This is in regard to quasi-judicial procedures. One could not go into a court with a lawyer and expect to get anything done for €20 or €50. Having regard to the amount of time being applied to provide this information, the appeal mechanism of the Information Commissioner and the fact that it takes months to address issues, to suggest that the fees structure is a deterrent or a disincentive is not borne out by the facts. Perhaps it has helped in reducing the number of vexatious Freedom of Information requests being submitted. If there is no fees structure in place, one would make it up as one goes along and keep the whole system going trying to collect information simply because somebody seems to want it rather than it being sought for any obvious effect. We must be sensible about this. I believe the balance is very well struck.

On the question of co-ordination and the question of to what extent EU-wide regulatory rules can be applied, that matter is being discussed by ECOFIN and Finance Ministers on an ongoing basis, as are proposals by the Commission, in which Commissioner McCreevy is involved. It is a question of waiting to see what emerges from that, but there is no doubt there is a broader context than simply our own regulatory context — there is a wider issue that must be addressed. This is an international industry and there is a strong movement of capital all over the world. We must have some rules and regulations by which people need to work to ensure there is greater transparency and understanding of what is going on.

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