The exclusion of the National Asset Management Agency from public scrutiny is “inexcusable”, the union representing journalists has said.
The National Union of Journalists questioned how the public could be expected to have faith in Nama when it was operating “in secret” and outside the scope of the Freedom of Information Act.
In a statement to mark World Press Freedom Day, the union said the ongoing undermining of the act was “reflective of a deep malaise and the heart of government in Ireland”.
It said the exclusion of certain bodies from the scope of the legislation meant vital issues relating to the economy, security, health and education werre excluded from proper scrutiny.
NUJ Irish secretary Seamus Dooley said the recently published annual report of the Information Commissioner Emily O’Reilly “puts in sharp focus the current policy towards openness in government”.
“At a time when citizens are demanding a role in the future of their Republic the Government is hell bent on keeping them in the dark by excluding key agencies from the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.”
Mr Dooley said there was “no justification for a blanket exclusion” of Nama from the provisions of the legislation. He said the Act made adequate provision for the protection of sensitive information.
“How can we be expected to have faith in a process which operates in secret, just as the National Treasury Management Agency has done? As a principle every new State agency should come within the scope of Freedom of Information legislation and the exclusion of Nama was a cynical exercise.”
He said government “must learn to trust the citizens of this country, treating them as adults who are capable of comprehending information”.
“The original Freedom of Information Act was brought about by a sustained campaign for openness and transparency, led by the NUJ and the Let in the Light campaign.
“The Act was amended by the Fíanna Fáil/Progressive Democrat government coalition, opposed not just to the legislation but to the ethos underpinning the Act.”
Mr Dooley said there was also an “urgent need” to bring An An Garda Siochána and the Vocational Educational Committees within the scope of the Act.
The NUJ welcomed the new Defamation Act and the legal status granted this month to the Press Council of Ireland. Mr Dooley said this status brought with it a responsibility on the part of all press organisations to engage with the Press Council and Ombudsman.
“The success of this type of co-regulation depends on the co-operation of all press organisations and it is regrettable that a small number of organisations, especially in the regional press sector, have not signed up to the process.
“Having secured libel reform there is now an onus on such media organisations to support the Press Council and the Office of Ombudsman rather than acting as free passengers on the bus.”
May 3rd each year has been officially designated by the United Nations General Assembly as World Press Freedom Day.
The key event marking the date is the World Press Freedom Day conference, which is hosted by a different country every year.
This year’s conference was held at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia from Saturday to today.
Participant countries have adopted a declaration calling on Unesco member states to “enact legislation guaranteeing the right to information in accordance with the internationally-recognised principle of maximum disclosure”.