Information wanted: Emily O'Reilly reminds us of what we are denied

[He3]

Speaking at the launch of the Ombudsman's Annual Report:

The Information Commissioner has called for freedom of information regulations to change to open up state papers on the workings of the National Assets Management Agency.

The decision to exclude the National Asset Management Agency (Nama) from the Freedom of Information Act will undermine public trust in the institution, the Information Commissioner Emily O’Reilly has warned.

Ms O'Reilly said it was a “no brainer” that making Nama subject to FoI requests would help shore up public trust in the agency at a time when the public was looking for openness and transparency in the banking sector.

Commissioner criticises FoI scope - The Irish Times - Wed, Apr 28, 2010

Welcome to Office of the Information Commissioner, Ireland

[captainwillard]

Emily O reilly is playing a blinder. She does not want her quango disbanded.

[Libero]

That's an interesting one.

NAMA is currently the subject of a request for information under the European environmental information Directive.
NAMA submission – The Story

Bizarrely, NAMA refused the original request, claiming it is not a public body.

That claim is now subject to an appeal to the Office of the Commissioner for Environmental Regulation.

And the person who holds that office is... Emily O'Reilly.

I wouldn't be surprised if NAMA not only has the brass neck to deny it is a public body, but also asserts the OCER is conflicted, owing to Mrs O'Reilly's comments while wearing the hat of Information Commissioner.

She might have been better off keeping that opinion to herself.

[He3]

That's an interesting one.

NAMA is currently the subject of a request for information under the European environmental information Directive.
NAMA submission – The Story

Bizarrely, NAMA refused the original request, claiming it is not a public body.

That claim is now subject to an appeal to the Office of the Commissioner for Environmental Regulation.

And the person who holds that office is... Emily O'Reilly.

I wouldn't be surprised if NAMA not only has the brass neck to deny it is a public body, but also asserts the OCER is conflicted, owing to Mrs O'Reilly's comments while wearing the hat of Information Commissioner.

She might have been better off keeping that opinion to herself.

One to watch. The continued eviscerating of the Freedom of Info principle would drive most normal people to distraction though:

She cited a report in yesterday’s Irish Times about the exploitation of migrant domestic workers in Irish homes as evidence of the need for Nera and also warned that its functions would be diluted if it was excluded.

She also expressed disappointment that organisations including An Garda Síochána, the Central Bank, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority, the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) remain outside Freedom of Information.

At the same time, the enforcement functions of the Health and Safety Authority (HSA), the road safety functions of the Road Safety Authority, the functions of the Land Registry and the Registry of Deeds were no longer subject to FOIs.