Results 201-220 of 1,966 for speaker:Mary Henry

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (12 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: I am not trying to be vexatious or frivolous, but it is profoundly depressing for us and for the Minister of State, because he is perfectly competent, to know that we are going through this and he is not in a position to take even an amendment as minor as that before us. I sympathise with him and Senator Mansergh because some of these issues are so minor that if the Minister of State was...

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (12 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: I move amendment No. 4: In page 8, lines 40 to 43 and in page 9, lines 1 to 18, to delete paragraph (a). I am out of the traps at last. It is unfortunate that we have to table amendments at all. The main thrust of the Bill was to be that the time limit for disclosure of Government papers would be extended from five to ten years. I would have no difficulty with that if, for the workings of...

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (12 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: May I point out to Senator Mansergh that, according to the definition in the Bill: "'officials' means two or more of the following: (a) a person holding a position in the Civil Service of the Government or the Civil Service of the State;". Nothing here says anything about senior officials. It could be anyone. It continues: "(b) a special adviser within the meaning of section 19 of the Ethics...

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (12 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: It is here on page 10. Senator Mansergh stated that these officials would only be senior officials.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (12 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: Sorry, but Senator Mansergh spoke about the officials. That is why I thought I had better clarify what I was talking about. I am not the one who started talking about them. It would be a good idea if we were all talking about the same matters at the same time.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (12 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: Yes, but I am not the one who started talking about the officials. As the amendments will not be accepted anyway, why am I wasting my breath?

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (12 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: We are always being told in other legislation that we are not to put in "shall" and we must have "may", and here the Minister is doing the opposite.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (12 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: I move amendment No. 5: In page 9, lines 19 to 23, to delete paragraph (b). This is a small change to the original Bill and I cannot understand the reason it is being made. Perhaps the Minister of State will explain.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (12 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: I move amendment No. 6: In page 9, to delete lines 24 to 39, to delete paragraph (c) and substitute the following: "(3) Subject to the provisions of this act, subsection (1) does not apply to a record referred to in that subsection– (a)if and in so far as it contains factual information relating to a decision of the Government that has been published to the general public, or (b)if the...

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (12 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: As I said, my concern with the Bill is not the extension, from five to ten years, of the protection of Government deliberations but that they are to be excluded from the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (12 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: I strongly support the comments of Senator O'Toole. Common politeness suggests it would be advisable to inform former Ministers of what might be coming down the tracks in terms of the disclosure of information. They should at least know the nature of the request.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (12 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: All the points have been covered. I previously stated that the definition of official is so wide that, as Senator O'Meara pointed out, anybody can be included. On the Order of Business I mentioned all the committees within the Department of Health and Children. The real problem is that they do not report and now we will not be able to find out anything about them. I would like to read into...

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (20 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: I regret that we got off to such a bad start with Report Stage. I fully expected to come in this morning and find that the Government had put down amendments to the Bill. The Minister was not in a position to hear the views of the high-level review group or the commissioner who addressed the Joint Committee on Finance and the Public Service, although I am sure he has read what they said. I...

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (20 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (20 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: I move amendment No. 5: In page 5 between lines 14 and 15, to insert the following: "(d) in the definition of 'request to which section 29 applies,' by substituting '28(5)(a)' for '28(5)'.". I must refer to my new best friend, the Information Commissioner, for this recommendation.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (20 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (20 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (20 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: I hear all the explanations about looking up the freedom of information officer in the telephone book but that is not necessarily the person who correlated the information. In a big organisation some of this work will have to be farmed out to others. I cannot understand the reason the Minister cannot accept this for the sake of transparency and accountability. The head of any public body...

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (20 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: I second Senator McDowell's amendment. This is an important matter. Like Senator McDowell, I read what the Taoiseach said about this Bill not affecting individuals. I am sure the Minister has heard from those who were victims of abuse within various institutions. As we spoke at great length about this on Committee Stage, I will not delay the House but there is a huge difference between files...

Seanad: Order of Business. (21 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: I am glad Senator Feeney mentioned the Medical Practitioners Act 1978. Every year for the past five years we have been promised an updated version of the Act. Amending legislation was introduced hastily last July, which provided for regulations affecting doctors temporarily registered in Ireland. Nine months later the regulations have still not been implemented. What is the point in...