Shane Ross (Independent)

It is different. For example, if a person is high up in a semi-State body, he or she does not have to declare his or her interests to the public. The interests are declared to another group and that information is never made public. Why are such people not subject to the same rules on openness as Members of the Oireachtas? There should be consistency on that matter. The Civil Service is not subject to the same accountability and does not want to be because it is not used to it and does not like it. Neither do Oireachtas Members, but it would be far easier for us if we, and the Cabinet, had to account for everything openly and without any suppression of information.