Irish Water freedom of information
Pearse Doherty asks whether Irish Water will be brought under freedom-of-information law; the Taoiseach says the pending Bill can incorporate that requirement.
Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle, agus ath bhliain faoi mhaise duit. The Taoiseach promised the Dáil earlier that he will bring Irish Water under the ambit of the freedom of information legislation. It is a new revelation given the fact that the Government defeated Sinn Féin's amendment three weeks ago to bring it under the remit of that legislation. However, it does not appear among the 42 legislative measures in the A list in the legislative programme published three days ago. Will the Minister bring Irish Water under the freedom of information regime by ministerial order, and retrospectively through its inception, and when will that order be signed by the Minister, or is there a need for legislation, which was not identified three days ago, to enable that to happen?
Second, on the first sitting day of the autumn session last year, on 18 September, the Taoiseach announced on the Order of Business that a banking inquiry would be set up. As it is now our first sitting day in 2014, perhaps the Taoiseach will take the opportunity to give us an update on how that inquiry is progressing. Has the Government located the two key documents that have been misplaced or have gone missing in the Department of Finance in respect of the bank guarantee and the recapitalisation of the banks?
Comment on this
With regard to freedom of information, the Minister pointed out that Irish Water became effective as an entity from 1 January in taking over responsibility for assets in the distribution and management of water. The Freedom of Information Bill 2013 is currently awaiting Report Stage in the Dáil. As this is the responsibility of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, I expect he can add the freedom of information requirement to deal with Irish Water.
With regard to the banking inquiry, I have not been in the Department of Finance looking for those letters. As I have mentioned on a number of occasions previously, I am concerned about the absence of pieces of paper in regard to this matter. The Government made a decision that it would be appropriate that a banking inquiry should take place. The Deputy will have seen the comments from the Director of Public Prosecutions and others, so I must be very careful in what I say. However, it is the intention to process the matter of setting up a banking inquiry.