Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The bodies were never included previously and will now be included. The other date that is being backdated relates to the Private Residential Tenancies Board and it is backdated to 2012. That is the date from which the board has electronic data available to it. Before that, it had 1.2 million paper records annually and it would simply clog up the board to require it to go back to 2008, as well as make it dysfunctional. Personal records, of course, are available. Anybody who seeks their personal records, be they an asylum seeker or otherwise, will be unaffected by this and will have access to their records.

I wish to comment on Deputy McDonald's commentary on direct provision. As she knows, a review on direct provision is taking place at present and I look forward to the result of it being sent to the Government. There are real concerns across the House and the country about the operation of direct provision.

Deputy Finian McGrath spoke about openness. Unfortunately, he has left the Chamber but this measure is part of a suite of reforms dealing with openness, including the regulation of lobbyists, freedom of information, the protection of whistleblowers and our involvement in the Open Government Partnership. All of that is important.

Finally, Deputy Wallace spoke about this being a travesty, but we do not judge ourselves by Deputy Wallace's criteria. International bodies regard this as exemplary legislation.

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