Joanna Tuffy (Labour)

I move amendment No. 24:

In page 11, between lines 47 and 48, to insert the following:

"and by the insertion after subsection (5) of:

'(6) Notwithstanding anything in this section the Tribunal may make available to the public copies of its decisions regarding appeals under this Act subject to the deletion of any material which might identify the appellant unless he or she so requests'.".

Tribunal decisions are not available. On Committee Stage the Minister rejected my party's proposal that the tribunal would be obliged to publish its decisions. The amendment seeks to regularise the Minister's assertion that the tribunal is free to publish its decisions. The tribunal appears to think otherwise and has in the past refused to publish decisions. The amendment modifies the amendment we moved on Committee Stage and seeks a compromise to ensure there would be openness regarding the tribunal's decisions. It is generally desirable in all decision making processes.