A chara, – The past two weeks have offered up an intensified focus on the sheer contempt for ordinary citizens that constitute what passes for “governance” in Ireland.
In relatively well-governed states, such as the Nordic countries, transparent governance and accountability are not just buzzwords but a reality in the body politic.
In Sweden freedom of information was introduced onto the statute book in 1766. Today in Sweden freedom of information has a constitutional underpinning as well as a statutory basis.
There is a thought for a referendum!
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What we have in Ireland today are politicians deploying often well-meaning rhetoric but those same politicians are in three weeks’ time voting on a Data Protection Bill that will hermetically seal off any consequences for breaches and violations of this law by those in the public sector.
The Data Protection Commissioner has stated that, “The purpose of the punitive fines provided for in the new law is to act as a deterrent to all types of organisations, and we see no basis upon which public authorities would be excluded, particularly given that arguably higher standards in the protection of fundamental rights are demanded of those entities”.
Information is the life-blood of a democracy and its paucity has this week been illustrated in a deeply tragic, life-and-death manner.
It is to be sincerely hoped that all active citizens will contact their public representatives to ensure that another source of positive law is not turned into its opposite.
There are only weeks left with little or no attention as yet on this vital matter. – Is mise,
JOHN SULLIVAN,
Rathmines,
Dublin 6.