Dáil debates

Wednesday, 16 July 2014

Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Report Stage

 

11:40 am

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 19:

In page 15, to delete lines 25 and 26, and substitute the following:

“Subject to this section, each of the following”.
The purpose of the amendments is to ensure that in the case of any public body that is subject to FOI in full, its subsidiaries and bodies that are directly or indirectly controlled by the body are also subject to FOI in full. It is also to ensure that any exemptions applying to bodies included in Schedule 1 extend to subsidiaries of such bodies controlled directly or indirectly by such bodies. The amendment is being proposed on foot of legal advice that it was necessary to make clear the provision regarding subsidiaries of bodies. I had proposed amendments on those lines on Committee Stage but withdrew them because of the drafting which proved to be quite complex. I went back to the Parliamentary Counsel to get a refined draft and that is what I offer to the House now. The Office of the Parliamentary Counsel took the opportunity to restructure the section to make it clearer and easier to follow. In essence, that where the parent body is in then all its subsidiaries are in and where it is out then all its subsidiaries are out.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.