Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Amendment No. 23 is another of the amendments the AILG brought to the joint Oireachtas committee and subsequently wrote to the members asking for their support. It states:

In page 12, between lines 15 and 16, to insert the following: “(5) The Minister, in giving a direction under subsection (1), shall publish the contents of such a direction in, Iris Oifigiúil, being the official Irish State gazette, at least one national newspaper and the Agency shall publish on its website the same contents, where a copy of the direction may be seen at all reasonable times.”.

The amendment provides for the publication of any direction given to the agency by the Minister for housing who "may ... give a direction in writing to the Agency or a subsidiary DAC, in relation to the performance of its functions under this Act, requiring it to comply with such policies of the Government as are specified in the [definition]."

In the interests of transparency, it is essential that such direction-ordering is not done behind closed doors and that, to the greatest extent possible, the functioning of the agency happens in the open and that many people whose lives are to be affected by the agency and its work are kept abreast of any developments or changes in how the agency considers its business. I hope the Minister will consider the rationale and accept the amendment. However, it appears he might not be accepting any amendments.