democracyprotectioncampaign.org/ Westin Hotel, Dublin.March 25, 2014 MORE COVER UPS – This Time- in the NAME of Freedom of Information. PUBLIC PROTEST AT GOVERNMENT”S SHUTTING DOWN OF TRANSPARENCY IN THE NAME OF FREEDOM OF INFORMATION. Westin Hotel, Westmoreland Street ,27th March, 11pm Minister who introduced freedom of information legislation in Ireland says the “removal of section 16 is a backward step” for transparency. *** On Thursday 27th March, Minister Brendan Howlin, in conjunction with the Information Commissioner and senior public officials, will hold a four hour ’Freedom of Information Conference’ in the Westin Hotel. Entry costs: 301 euros. Please Note : Government sources have said that Whistle-blowers are NOT welcome. Statement The entry costs to this conference is indicative of this Government’s approach to transparency. Our campaign views with alarm the introduction of additional costs for FOI requests and we view with equal concern the abolition of a core feature of the Freedom of Information Act in the form of sections 15 and 16, FOI Act 1997. The current law makes it obligatory on public bodies to publish information across a range of categories concerning the criteria used for making decisions regarding citizen’s entitlements. This ensures that consistency and equality of treatment, is operational in the making of decisions and critically, that such consistency is transparent for the citizen, Freedom of Information Act 1997 Section 16. This is good and progressive law. Minister Howlin and his officials, have drafted an FOI Bill that abolishes that legal requirement of transparency on public bodies and they propose to replace it with “publication schemes” where-in the public institutions –themselves– will decide what information will be made public, and in addition, the Minister is for the first time, vested with the power to decide what information is made public and with the power to “revise” such information as he “thinks fit” to do so. FOI Bill 2013 Section 8. The Minister and his officials have justified this change by reference to a “code of practice and guideline”s regarding the provision of information. The code is nine months after the Bill’s publication still to be published and in any event officials in the Minister’s own department have informed us that the code like most codes will “not be legally binding. This is in sharp contrast to the existing law cited above. Former Labour Minister Ethnie Fitzgerald, who introduced freedom of information legislation into Ireland in 1997 has said that she is “concerned at the removal of Section 16″. The former Minister stated that ”Section 16 is a protection against arbitrary decision making” and that its removal would be a “backward step” for transparency in Ireland. She is cognisant of the proposed of code of practice and guidelines and these have not allayed her concern whatsoever at the removal of the statutory based protections enshrined in section 16. What Can You Do ? The Government intend to have this over the line and codified into law within weeks. Phone and or write to TDs and Senators. This is Your information, generated through your direct and indirect taxes and they want to block your access to it, if and when you need it. Demand that your elected representatives in the Dail and Seanad, block this proposal and that they vote to retain Section 15 and especially, Section 16, of the Freedom of Information Act 1997. Secrecy has caused and continues to cause, extensive damage for the citizens of this State. This is your country as well as the politicians and their advisers, don’t let them embed secrecy further. All the fine speeches and statements about “more openness transparency in our services”, will amount to so much “sound and fury, signifying nothing”, if this bill is passed in its current form. “…if officials make public only what they want citizens to know, then publicity becomes a sham and accountability meaningless.” Sissela Bok. Swedish philosopher. There is not a crime, dodge, trick or swindle which dos not live by secrecy” WEB: ourrighttoknow.ie
Posted on: Wed, 26 Mar 2014 14:54:03 +0000
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