Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

The Minister for Transport indicated on Committee Stage that disclosure requirements in respect of the authority will be met through the role of the Standards in Public Office Commission which implements the Ethics in Public Office Act and the Standards in Public Office Act. The current procedure involves the Minister for Finance making a regulation to add new bodies to the existing list of prescribed public bodies at the beginning of each year. The order specifies which designated directorships and positions in public bodies are required to make a declaration of interests to the commission.

Once established the authority will be added to the list of prescribed bodies at the earliest opportunity. This is similar to the approach used in bringing new bodies under the remit of the Freedom of Information Act. This is the preferred approach to such disclosure.