David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to clear up a couple of things. I am still not convinced about marital status being excluded from the freedom of information provisions, and I will outline why. First, a marriage or civil partnership is a public declaration. Why it should subsequently be restricted is beyond me. Second, there may be cases in which a person is considering getting involved in a relationship and institutionalising it through marriage, civil partnership or whatever there is. Let us suppose there was a concern that the other party had already been involved in a civil partnership or marriage. Surely the person should be entitled to research and examine the matter to determine if there are any records and find out the position to avoid a bigamous situation. First, it is public information and, second, it is useful to people who are considering getting involved in these relationships.

Reference was made to the trade union situation, and I understand the sensitivity in this regard. I am a member of three trade unions and I am a strong supporter of the trade union movement. If membership of a trade union must be kept secret, how can the trade union effectively represent that member?