All Members will be familiar with the murder, in the not-too-distant past on our neighbouring island, of two parliamentarians, Jo Cox and Sir David Amess.

During the summer past, we had Ann Widdecombe, a former MP, and last week, unfortunately, in our own State, a serious assault on a Member of the Lower House.

To protect against these things, the Government wisely brought in a scheme whereby people could enhance the security of their residences. Unfortunately, that has yielded up unintended consequences. During the summer the local radio station in Waterford, which was only doing its job, sent in a freedom of information request to the local authority asking for the names of councillors who availed of the grant. This was published with the names and addresses of the recipients and the amounts they drew down. For more unintended consequences, while highlighting the two who got the security grant, it also drew attention to the fact that 30 councillors were without security at their homes.

This is not the way things should happen with freedom of information. Councils must be cognisant of section 37 of the Freedom of Information Act, which forbids people giving out the address, location or personal details of third parties. It is an offence under that section to do so. Whenever the Leader or any Member of the House is interchanging with the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, or the Minister, Deputy Browne, will they ask that the Department sends out a circular to local authorities, reminding them of section 37 so that no councillor has to go through the ignominy of having their security threatened by that release of information?