Results 15,441-15,460 of 21,206 for speaker:Mary Lou McDonald

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: Absolutely, and I do not have an issue with that at all. My concern is that the legislation goes much further than recognising this reality and gives a blanket exemption in respect of freedom of information requests to these bodies. While it is true that they compete in commercial markets, I disagree with Deputy Fleming. There is a qualitative difference because while they are supposed to...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: I come to these exempted agencies from a different position from Deputy Fleming. Amendment No. 85 proposes a simple deletion of the exempted agencies set out in Part 2. The list is lengthy: An Post, Bantry Bay Harbour, Bord Gáis Éireann, Bord na Móna, Bus Éireann and Irish Water. There are matters that would be commercially sensitive attached to the commercial mandate...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: Having made my case, I now propose to press the amendment.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: I accept that entirely and I understand the use of the tenth anniversary. I am simply saying that, on the basis of public perception, 2008 is the wrong year. My suggestion of 2005 is arbitrary.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: Perhaps I could submit an amendment on Report Stage that would move the date to mid-2007 or 2006.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: The year 2008 would represent an unhappy coincidence.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: I move amendment No. 4: In page 12, between lines 9 and 10, to insert the following:" "Minister's FOI Data Manager" means the person appointed by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform within his or her Department responsible for collating and publishing all FOI related data;".I suggest this amendment for a very practical reason. In dealing with the new Department, we have found...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: They follow on from Amendment No. 4. Amendment No. 38 proposes operational procedures whereby, on a six-monthly basis, a head would submit to the Minister's FOI data manager, whose role I described earlier, all decisions and determinations in a format to be agreed by the Minister prior to the enactment of the Act. In other words, it simply means that one would receive, in a timely and...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: I move amendment No. 1: In page 10, line 2, to delete “12 months” and substitute “9 months”.The Bill, as drafted, envisages for bodies within the remit of FOI legislation a lead-in period of 12 months in coming into line with the legislation. A period of nine months should be sufficient for such bodies to be in compliance with it.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: I appreciate that as a general rule the period will be six months which I understand from the Minister will be adhered to in most cases. I think an additional three months would be sufficient. While I appreciate that obviously bodies have internal administrative concerns, there is a public appetite for freedom of information legislation to be reinstated and rigorous in its application. I...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: I move amendment No. 2: In page 10, lines 5 to 8, to delete all words from and including “on” in line 5 down to and including “provisions.” in line 8 and substitute “not later than 12 months from enactment.”.This is a timing issue and relates to section 8 which deals with the publication of information on FOI bodies. The legislation, as drafted,...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: I move amendment No. 3: In page 10, line 35, to delete “21 April 2008” and substitute “1 January 2005”.This amendment relates to the retrospective element of the legislation. The Minister has suggested bodies go back to 21 April 2008. I understand that it would be unreasonable to go back as far as 2003 because it would impose an administrative burden. The choice...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Business of Select Sub-Committee (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: A Chathaoirligh,-----

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Business of Select Sub-Committee (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: We cannot return to it because once the Chairman puts the question, the Committee Stage commences.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Business of Select Sub-Committee (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: With all due respect to the Chairman and to the Minister, there is little point in the Minister telling us that he will bring the code of conduct here for us to jointly pin down. My understanding was that we were going to jointly pin down the legislation.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Business of Select Sub-Committee (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: The draft legislation-----

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Business of Select Sub-Committee (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: -----that the Minister presented was very different.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Business of Select Sub-Committee (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: I do not have a telephone.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Business of Select Sub-Committee (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: If the Cathaoirleach does not mind,-----

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Business of Select Sub-Committee (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: No, no.