Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Robust freedom of information legislation acknowledges power. That power does not belong to a Minister, a political party or the Government; it belongs to the people. I commend my comrade, Deputy Mairéad Farrell, on tabling this pertinent Private Members' motion. Fine Gael's proposed ham-fisted, naked crony appointment of an envoy to the UN saw a Minister delete information on Government business, removing it from scrutiny. According to the Taoiseach, he deleted it in good faith. However, on Government information, that is not the Taoiseach's assertion to make. The integrity of office is at issue here. The authority of the Office of Taoiseach is what is at issue, and not the personal authority of its current occupant who excoriated his own party colleagues while absolving Fine Gael.

Fine Gael's treatment of public information while in office has been arrogant and reckless. It has been too long in power and regards government as its political right. Familiarity has bred contempt in the very people in whose name they hold office and information. I believe that if my party had engaged in such political shenanigans, deleting texts on Government information and so on, the usual suspects would be outside doing a candlelit vigil or something, talking about democracy itself. When it is Fine Gael, we got a turned cheek from Fianna Fáil, a blind eye from the Green Party and a pass from their supporters. They claim there is nothing to see here except mountains out of molehills and ask us to move along.

In the interests of democracy, Sinn Féin has tabled this motion on freedom of information, its proper retention and release. We are constitutional enough to consider the holding of Government information not as a party right or as a political privilege, but as a public duty. Government work is serious work. It is not about slick videos or not-so-slick videos, jobs for the girls and boys, deletions, leaks or TikTok posts.

Our motion brings pensions to former Ministers, taoisigh, presidents and senior officeholders within the remit of FOI, something the public will value given the new report urging at least 40 years' work to claim the State pension. Crucially, it gives the Information Commissioner power to refer FOI complaints to SIPO for investigation where a public body, Minister or relevant person is believed to have failed intentionally or recklessly to fulfil their obligations under the legislation. Overall, it seeks to return public information to its rightful owner, not to a Minister, a political party or a government, but to the people themselves, whom we serve.

See this speech in context