Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Last week, the Taoiseach told the House that no public body should be secretive and that the people had a right to know. When the freedom of information motion is passed, however, 41 public bodies will be totally exempted and 24 will be partially exempted. We have probably the most oppressive freedom of information regime in the developed world. It is accepted that there is no democracy without an informed citizenry.

Big business, through its ownership of newspapers, television channels and radio stations, can buy influence and control media content. It can impact on how politicians behave and deal with legislation. This is a major problem. According to the Minister, recent developments have highlighted the importance of a high degree of openness and transparency in helping to underpin public confidence and trust in Irish Water. Might he apply the same statement to the Garda Síochána, a secretive organisation?

The problems with penalty points that we have been examining over the last 18 months bears this out strongly. The Garda still refuses to publish this code of conduct. There is no code of practice issued for statutory powers given to gardaí. It is not published. The GSOC has no power over them. Officials in the GSOC have no access to the PULSE system. They are not allowed to look at policies, practices, procedures and they cannot investigate the Commissioner. That is a big problem. Given that we do not know what is happening with the Garda Síochána, because it is not covered by the Freedom of Information Act, members of our media go to the gardaí, have a nice chat with them and the gardaí leak certain stories to them. In return, the media look after them.

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