Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 84:

In page 42, to delete lines 18 to 23.

There is an exemption from the disclosure of interests and my amendment would seek to remove the exemption from the disclosure of interests. Section 37(2) states that requirement for a disclosure of interests does not apply to a person who is entering a contract or proposed contract of employment or a contract or proposed contract of services in relation to the commission. The reason that is a concern, as we have discussed previously, is that there are small numbers of relevant experts in some of the areas which will be subject to the commission. The commission may well have to draw on persons who also have, for example, either significant shareholdings or significant interests within the bodies to be regulated, and may even have significant contracts of service with the bodies to be regulated. This is not to preclude such persons from working for the commission or, indeed, providing services to the commission because the nature of it is that as the commission seeks to draw in expertise, there will be potential overlap. The fact is that one will have individuals who are the absolute specialists in a certain form of profiling or content. However, it is important that there would at least be disclosure of such interests. It is not precluding but is saying that there should be a disclosure of interests. For example, if somebody is hired on a contract of service to look at a particular area of nuanced regulation and he or she has significant interests in relation to the sector or some of the companies to be regulated, that should be known and it is important and appropriate that it would be known.

I imagine the commission will be drawing on such expertise in certain areas.In the context of content regulation, there may be a need to draw on the expertise of companies and others who have provided such content regulation services to major online broadcasters. For transparency, it would be appropriate that disclosure would be made. Section 37(2)(b) refers to contracted services. The contract with the commission could be one out of 20 that someone might have. Given that ten of those 20 may be far more financially significant than the contract with the commission, it is important that people would be aware of that.