Brendan Ryan (Labour)

I move amendment No. 23:

In page 32, between lines 11 and 12, to insert the following:

"(6) Pending the designation of the Authority for the purposes of public access to disclosures under any other statutory code, a disclosure under this section or section 36 or 37 shall be recorded in a register together with particulars of any interest of members of the Authority or persons to whom section 36 or 37 applies, and the register shall be available to public inspection during office hours.".

This amendment provides for a mechanism for public information regarding interests or conflicts of interest on the part of members and staff of the authority. The Minister for Transport, Deputy Dempsey, in response to a similar amendment on Committee Stage, said the authority would be designated for the purpose of access to disclosures under the Standards in Public Office Act. The Report Stage amendment has been adjusted to make clear it will only apply pending such designation. That should relieve the Minister of any difficulty associated with the amendment.