TAXPAYERS shouldering the country's massive debt have a right to information withheld by NAMA, Information Commissioner Emily O'Reilly insisted yesterday.
NAMA is not covered by the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, whereby taxpayers can access data routinely withheld by many public bodies. And Ms O'Reilly hit out at the increasing number of public bodies being removed from the FOI process and demanded it be extended to every public body.
"Members of the public, who ultimately shoulder the burden of this country's debt . . . have a right to have all information at their disposal to analyse in an informed manner, the decisions which had, and will continue to have, such a profound effect on their lives," she said at the launch of her annual report yesterday.
She recommended all records held by bodies such as NAMA, the National Treasury Management Agency, and the Central Bank, be immediately brought under the remit of the FOI.
Treacy Hogan
Irish Independent
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