Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I am not in any way questioning the capacity of the Department to administer the Freedom of Information Acts; that is not the angle I am pursuing in this question. The Taoiseach referred to the relevant commitment in the programme for Government and the election manifestos of the two Government parties make specific promises in terms of increasing openness and accountability. However, the evidence thus far is that we are going backwards. For some years it has been the practice of key Departments to publish background documents on-line, thereby reducing the need for people to use the freedom of information provisions. Most other Departments published briefing materials from March, but the Department of the Taoiseach did not do so. Will the Taoiseach explain why this was not done? In addition, there has been a reversal of the policy to publish the advisory documents prepared on all tax measures.

In essence, because of the changes within the Department of the Taoiseach which are moving it towards becoming almost a Cabinet secretariat, the Department will be far less accountable. In the past it was more open to ensuring freedom of information in terms of how it was structured, but by converting it into a type of Cabinet secretariat, the Taoiseach is cutting off the scope for many questions Deputies could have asked in the normal course of Dáil business. That may not be the intention or design, but it is the outcome. In other words, information will be covered by the principle of Cabinet confidentiality under the Department's new configuration and the majority of its work will be almost cut off from public or parliamentary oversight. Is the Taoiseach satisfied with this development? How does it dovetail with the commitment in the programme for Government regarding increased accountability, openness and transparency, including greater oversight by Parliament?

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