Results 1,181-1,200 of 1,338 for speaker:Kathleen O'Meara

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)

Kathleen O'Meara: When was this?

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)

Kathleen O'Meara: I am well able to write my own soundbites.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)

Kathleen O'Meara: We are talking about public bodies.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)

Kathleen O'Meara: Only one organisation has done so.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)

Kathleen O'Meara: The Bill is a disgrace.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)

Kathleen O'Meara: It is nothing short of an abuse of power by the Government. It is an abuse of power because it attempts to roll back on a right given to the people by an elected Government and does so without a mandate. Where in An Agreed Programme for Government was there a proposal to roll back on the Freedom of Information Act? The answer is nowhere. Out it comes at a few short days' notice supposedly on...

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)

Kathleen O'Meara: At last count there were 81 spin doctors.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)

Kathleen O'Meara: I thank the Acting Chairman. It was my great privilege to work with the then Minister of State, Eithne Fitzgerald, in formulating the principal legislation. I saw the work involved and saw at close quarters its objective and aim. This objective is now being rolled back fundamentally and blatantly in such an abusive fashion by this effectively dictatorial Government.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)

Kathleen O'Meara: The aim was to give a right, not a "maybe" or "we will decide", to the individual to access information on him or her held by public bodies. It gave a right of access within very clearly defined and unproblematic limits to information relevant to decisions made by public bodies. The Minister made a big deal about how it had been rolled out to so many bodies. I note he is not present to hear...

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)

Kathleen O'Meara: This has come from a public servant charged with the responsibility of ensuring the Freedom of Information Act is implemented. It has not come from senior civil servants, the Taoiseach, the Minister for Finance or a dictatorial Government abusing its power. It has come from the Information Commissioner. While we on this side of the House might listen, the Government is not prepared to listen.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)

Kathleen O'Meara: The Minister of State has not read the Bill.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)

Kathleen O'Meara: Of course it is. The Minister of State should read the Bill.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)

Kathleen O'Meara: I ask the Minister of State to read the Bill where he will see the effect of the amendments. Who framed them and who approved them?

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)

Kathleen O'Meara: The Bill appears to be going further than the Minister of State would like it to go. I suggest that the Minister of State should accept the amendment on that particular section when we put it down. The Bill refers to material compiled principally and not solely for Cabinet. This was specifically put into the original Bill to ensure that material going to Cabinet was covered by a narrow rather...

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)

Kathleen O'Meara: This was not recommended by the high level group which is getting the blame for everything. This proposal clearly came from the political side. Who was behind it? What is the problem in giving access to information that goes into parliamentary questions? Let us remind the House of the remarks made by Mr. Justice Hamilton in regard to the beef tribunal. He said if parliamentary questions had...

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)

Kathleen O'Meara: I thank Senator Brian Hayes for his supportive remarks. Who was behind this proposal? Of course, we will never know because the proposal will close off the area. It was clearly designed to keep us in the dark and to throw a blanket of secrecy around the way decisions are made.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)

Kathleen O'Meara: I am delighted to hear it.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)

Kathleen O'Meara: My clear impression is that some people have difficulty with this matter. The reason I do not have any difficulty with it is because we made the decision to go into public life and we are paid out of public money by the taxpayer so we should be accountable for our role and what we do with that money.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)

Kathleen O'Meara: We do not have any right to tell the media how to use freedom of information. As a former journalist , there are some times when I roll my eyes to heaven and say, "Did you have to do it like that, guys?" We live in a democracy and the media is the Fourth Estate and we must accept it warts and all.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)

Kathleen O'Meara: The poodles are not coming out.