Seanad debates

Tuesday, 4 March 2003

Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed).

 

The Freedom of Information Act has worked in a fairly strange way. There are those who would say it has not worked. The moment it was introduced, ways were found to circumvent it. Ministers, civil servants and other people who felt they would be subject to this Act immediately decided not to put sensitive information in print. That is a sensible and realistic response, if one does not like being open. The experience of Governments here, despite what the Opposition said today, is that nobody really likes people knowing any more than they must. That is a cultural problem which is not restricted to Ireland. It is an international problem that governments, the moment they enter office, do not want to release any more information than they are obliged to by law and those in opposition always want to press for it to happen. That is the situation with which we are faced.

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