Charlie McCreevy (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)

I am not prepared to accept this amendment. Under the existing provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, a public body must be satisfied as to the identity of a requester prior to releasing information that relates to the requester or to the release of which the requester has consented. It is sensible that similar checks should be made prior to the release of commercially sensitive information. Section 20 will also permit a head to refuse to confirm or deny the existence of a record containing commercially sensitive information where the mere aknowledgement of the existence or non-existence of the record concerned could undermine or reveal the sensitive information contained in the record. This is a reasonable provision. I cannot accept the amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.