Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. The figure of 91 freedom of information requests is quite a sizeable number for the Taoiseach's Department. Throughout the past three years the Taoiseach has articulated his full commitment to the concept of freedom of information, and he has often come to the Chamber and promised to release information in advance, and there may not be need for recourse to freedom of information processes. There was a famous meeting in Brussels of which I could never get to the bottom because I could not get access to freedom of information either here or in Brussels. The issue was ping-ponged between both headquarters.

The Irish Water debacle really reveals the problem we have as for two years there was complete secrecy on the issue. The Department has had 91 freedom of information requests and if there was a far greater degree of voluntary and upfront disclosure and transparency, there would be no need for 91 requests. We only found out about Irish Water because of an interview on RTE 1 between the chief executive of Irish Water and a reporter, Mr. Sean O'Rourke, despite many parliamentary questions tabled by various Deputies, including Deputy Barry Cowen. The proposal was not to include Irish Water in the freedom of information process and exclude it from the ambit. That was the decision of the Minister until the likes of Deputies Fleming, Stanley and others raised the matter; the Minister has now conceded the point in light of the controversy surrounding Irish Water, hidden costs and secrecy.

The Taoiseach last week told me he did not know whether county managers had retired with lump sum pensions and got jobs in Irish Water. He sort of feigned that he did not know anything about that but everybody knew about it. The indication was that the chief executive would write to the Minister and tell me the information, and through a circuitous route I would eventually find out. If we had far more voluntary disclosure, we would not need to table so many freedom of information requests, which are quite costly, with the cost maintained by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin. He has spoken much about it but he has not delivered much. Deputy Sean Fleming has had to put down a Bill relating to EirGrid, for example, and whether it will be subject to freedom of information requests.

Is the Taoiseach concerned that voluntary disclosure of information is now so rare in Government administrative circles? If Deputies and citizens really want to get to the bottom of something, in general they must have recourse to freedom of information as a first rather than last resort.

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