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

I asked the Taoiseach to review the process. Six months is not healthy. Initially, section 29 of the Freedom of Information Act was cited as the reason for refusing a release of these records. That section refers to matters actually under consideration by Government. The citation was changed in January to section 28(1), which deals with confidential documents, the equivalent of Cabinet memos. Of the emails that were refused, one is an email chain between the director, Mr. Concannon, and the Taoiseach's chief adviser, Brian Murphy. The Information Commissioner is very clear that they were never created as a record and never enjoyed Cabinet confidentiality. Second is the email concerning the Taoiseach and the child care subsidy in terms of the Taoiseach wanting it to become a Government announcement rather than a Department of Children and Youth Affairs announcement. There are very genuine concerns here. It took six months to clarify that point and I think, in terms of the macro policy role the Taoiseach has in the Department, a review of the operation of the process is merited.

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