Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am speaking in my capacity as Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport. I could not be here last week. The committee's approach has been to work with the Minister, the Department and all the parties and Independents who attended our meetings. Our whole objective was to get the best deal for the residents and to make sure the regulator was properly appointed.

I expressed concerns about the capacity of Fingal County Council to take on the regulatory role but we went with what we were advised. We had two meetings with officials and a long committee meeting. Everybody wanted to facilitate the best possible outcome for all. However, the fact that the letter was not disclosed to us was wrong. It should have been disclosed. I ask the Minister why it was not disclosed. It was a germane point. A lot of people raised it. It is not about the letter itself; it is about the trust that people have in regulation itself, the trust I want to have in the regulator. Fingal County Council will not actually be doing it; I presume it will be providing the envelope, buildings, facilities or whatever. However, we need to get it spelled out. It creates questions in my mind.

At the very least, notwithstanding whatever views they may have at the end of the day, I want the residents to be happy that everything is totally above board and that nothing has been willingly kept from this Oireachtas committee. I would like to know why we did not see that letter. It would have required the Minister to make a different argument because knowledge of it would have informed people's opinions. It is very late in the day to be looking for it now but we have a right to ask that it be given to us, perhaps by way of a briefing note as to what arrangements Fingal County Council is going to make, what procedures are going to be in place, the expected cost and the location. We raised this point ourselves during the debate, in respect of the question of firewalls between anything to do with planning and the activities of Fingal County Council and the regulator itself.

A Deputy made a very important point about freedom of information and being able to get at the truth. People are entitled to know the full facts. They are entitled to have fair, objective and transparent regulation. I am not saying the matter is under a cloud. I will be voting for the legislation but the Minister needs to explain a bit more to us in the interests of transparency and accountability. It is an important point. I am thankful for the journalist who found it out because we were not told about it. There is a fundamental issue of trust here between Oireachtas Members and the Minister. There is no conflict. Even tonight nobody is saying they do not recognise the issues. That needs to be repaired and built on. I ask the Minister to do that.

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