Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I understand that, not only on this issue but others, she quite often pursues things vigorously. That is to her great credit. One of the main aims in the course of the development of the Bill was, as I have said repeatedly, to preserve the normal and proper communication and interaction between citizens and their local representatives. I want to ensure that, as far as possible, there is no impact on these exchanges as a result of the enactment of the Bill. Therefore, the private affairs of individuals have been specifically excluded from the registration requirements of the Bill under section 5(4)(a) so as not to capture those normal communications between private citizens, including those regarding their principal private residences.

The old English adage is that one's home is one's castle. It comes with the precept of private affairs, and that is why I do not propose to accept the amendments, as I have indicated. The Deputy rightly said that whether issues to do with a person's private residence would have implications for what we want to deal with in regard to this Bill is a long shot, but the general provision of preserving that degree of personal privacy is something that would be appreciated by the general public.

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