Joe O'Toole (Independent)

It is quite incredible to suggest that this Bill does not restrict information – it does. Irrespective of whether it is a good or bad idea, it certainly restricts information on a substantial scale. I will give a few examples as to how it would operate. The classic example would involve people seeking access to information arising from a complaint. In other words, a person could have a major interest in a complaint made about a close colleague, into which the person, by inference but not by name, could be drawn. This example relates to situations which I have observed many times. It has been a regular practice for Members of both Houses of the Oireachtas to use the FOI Act to obtain information for constituents who considered they were being unfairly represented in correspondence, possibly, though not necessarily, involving a complaint. A person may be misrepresented in a manner which does not necessarily involve being named.