Results 17,421-17,440 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I move amendment No. 72: In page 63, between lines 2 and 3, to insert the following:“(vi) the management and use of covert intelligence operations;”.In line with the programme for Government commitment, the Government decided that FOI should apply to An Garda Síochána in respect of administrative records, subject to security exemptions. Section 42(b) provides the FOI...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I move amendment No. 74: In page 65, lines 20 to 25, to delete all words from and including “or” where it secondly occurs in line 20 down to and including “body.” in line 25 and substitute the following:“(l) unless consent has been lawfully given for its disclosure, a record relating to any private paper or confidential communication, within the meaning of...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Section 45(2) permits the Information Commissioner to enter a premises of an FOI body to examine and copy records which in his or her view are relevant to his or her investigation, and the commissioner may remove those records from the premises for a reasonable period. Section 45(10) prevents the Information Commissioner from entering Garda premises or from taking documents designated by...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The premises that are off-limits have to be designated in the regulations. It is not all Garda stations. So I imagine it would be the crime and security division in Harcourt Street and places that by nature would have highly sensitive documents.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I draw up the regulations in consultation with the Department of Justice, Equality and Defence. They would have to be laid before the House.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I beg the Deputy’s pardon, I am advised that it is the Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence who will make those regulations and they have not yet been made.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: This is new. The Garda Síochána were never encompassed within the FOI up to now.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy can imagine, in negotiating with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence about these matters the extension of FOI in general to the Garda Síochána had to be carefully discussed and there was a balance to strike to make sure that we would not compromise criminal investigation in providing FOI.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Not on the FOI side because that will be on the administrative side but there is a very strong power given to the Information Commissioner to enter the premises of a designated body and seize documents. I do not imagine that it will be used very often. I do not know if it has been used very often to date. I am told it was only ever threatened but never done.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Yes it is enough.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The FOI is encompassing An Garda Síochána for the first time.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The regulations will be made by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence but I presume that they will have to come before the Oireachtas in the normal way. I will check that point for the Deputy and come back to him.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: It is agreed that it will not be all Garda stations.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I move amendment No. 79: In page 72, between lines 22 and 23, to insert the following:“(c) a record held or created under the Companies Acts by the Director of Corporate Enforcement or an officer of the Director (other than a record concerning the general administration of the Director’s office);”.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy has given me further information to which I wish to respond this evening in the Dáil.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I move amendment No. 86: In page 75, between lines 23 and 24, to insert the following:“A bridge bank within the meaning of section 17 of the Central Bank and Credit Institutions (Resolution) Act 2011 Allied Irish Banks p.l.c.”.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I move amendment No. 92: In page 76, between lines 5 and 6, to insert the following:“Irish Bank Resolution Corporation Limited (in Special Liquidation)”.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I move amendment No. 94: In page 76, between lines 12 and 13, to insert the following:“permanent tsb Group Holdings p.l.c.”.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I move amendment No. 95: In page 76, between lines 14 and 15, to insert the following:“Private Security Appeals Board”.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: We debated this point at length last night.