Seanad debates

Tuesday, 4 March 2003

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

 

Let us look at the next part of it: "If the request, in the opinion of the head, is frivolous or vexatious or if it forms a pattern of manifestly unreasonable requests." I firmly agree that if somebody uses these provisions for frivolous or vexatious purposes they should not be given the time of day. If somebody asked me a question which would embarrass me if I were to answer it publicly, then I would consider it unreasonable that I had been made to answer that question. It is a subjective judgment of one person. It is utterly unreasonable. Surely it is unreasonable for me to have to answer a question that might threaten my promotion prospects or show me in a poor public light or show my Department to have acted in a way that was not great. It is unreasonable; it is a bit troublesome.

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