Results 10,241-10,260 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) (16 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: In so far as there is a monopoly of transmission, EirGrid will be subject to freedom of information.

Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) (16 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: This is a work in progress. It has not settled yet.

Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) (16 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: While I cannot pre-empt the passage of the Bill through the other House, my ambition is to have it done early in the next session. There is a six-month preparation time for it to become effective. During the course of next year, I expect all the bodies listed in these amendments to have a functioning freedom of information system. It will also be backdated. While this is a matter for...

Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) (16 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I move amendment No. 86:In page 72, between lines 34 and 35, to insert the following:“(e) the Data Protection Commissioner, or an officer of the Commissioner, in relation to a record (save as regards a record concerning the general administration of the Office of the Commissioner); (f) the Director of Corporate Enforcement, or an officer of the Director, in relation to a record held...

Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) (16 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I move amendment No. 87:In page 72, between lines 39 and 40, to insert the following:“(f) Gaslink Independent System Operator Limited, other than insofar as it relates to records held by it relating to its functions under its—(i) transmission system operator licence granted under section 16(1)(d), or (ii) distribution system operator licence granted under section 16(1)(f), of...

Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) (16 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I move amendment No. 88:In page 73, between lines 8 and 9, to insert the following:“(i) Iarnród Éireann, insofar as it relates to the operation of Rosslare Europort and its freight operations in the State; (j) the Office of the Information Commissioner, in the performance of its functions under this Act or under the European Communities (Access to Information on the...

Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) (16 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: We have discussed this at length. Deputies Donnelly and McDonald are proposing the deletion of the entire list of exempt and part-exempt bodies. I do not propose to accept the Deputies’ amendments. I do not believe one could have a commercial State sector operating to a completely different set of rules from its competitors. It would hamstring their capacity in achieving the best...

Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) (16 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I move amendment No. 82:In page 70, lines 21 and 22, to delete "paragraph (ap)" and substitute "paragraph (as)".These amendments are being proposed to update references in this Bill to take account of changes made to other pieces of legislation, namely, the Central Bank Act 1942 and the Road Traffic Act 2014, since Committee Stage of the Freedom of Information Bill last November.

Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) (16 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I move amendment No. 83:In page 70, to delete lines 23 to 29 and substitute the following:" "(as) for the purposes of contractual or institutional protection schemes as referred to in Article 113(7) of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 20131, or(at) to the Information Commissioner that is required for the performance of that...

Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) (16 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I move amendment No. 84:In page 72, to delete lines 10 to 22 and substitute the following:"(b) the Central Bank of Ireland, insofar as it relates to—(i) records held by it containing—(I) confidential personal information relating to the financial or business affairs of any individual, or (II) confidential financial, commercial or regulatory information relating to the business...

Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) (16 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I move amendment No. 85:In page 72, to delete lines 23 to 25.Amendments Nos. 85 to 87, inclusive, 94, 97, 101, 102 and 104 are being grouped for ease of discussion, although there are five separate issues involved. I will deal with them separately. The issues are, first, moving of the exemption for the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement; second, grant of part exemption for the...

Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) (16 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: It was a bit churlish of me not to state that, unusually, two of these amendments, amendments Nos. 101 and 104, are jointly sponsored by myself and Deputy Sean Fleming. To deal with the specific points he made which relate to the energy network companies, Deputies will be aware of statements made by the former Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Rabbitte, in...

Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) (16 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I move amendment No. 75:In page 61, lines 6 and 7, to delete “Parts 1 or 2” and substitute “Part 1 or 2”.

Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) (16 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I move amendment No. 76:In page 64, to delete lines 25 to 31 and substitute the following: “(g) a record relating to an audit, inspection, investigation or examination carried out by the Comptroller and Auditor General under the Comptroller and Auditor General Acts 1923 to 1993, the Exchequer and Audit Department Acts 1866 and 1921, or any other enactment, other...

Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) (16 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I did not refer to that. I should have done so. I will refer to it.

Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) (16 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: With the indulgence of the Chair-----

Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) (16 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I should have also referred to amendments Nos. 84 and 93 because they are in this group. The purpose of those amendments is to provide for an exemption from FOI for the records of child abuse bodies other than in regard to their administrative records. The bodies in question are the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, the Residential Institutions Redress Board and the Residential...

Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) (16 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: This is only in regard to the Office of the Information Commissioner.

Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) (16 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Office of the Information Commissioner. The Ombudsman is the Environmental Information Commissioner as well. In the same way as the Information Commissioner is dealing with normal queries under FOI, where it relates to environmental information under the European directive, the same exemptions would apply. I might give a practical example. If the Information Commissioner determines...

Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) (16 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Information Commissioner and the Information Commissioner relating to the European directive are one and the same; the same office handles it. I am trying to parallel the treatment of the deliberative process in regard to FOI appeals and regarding appeals under the European environmental regulations.