The trade union representing senior civil servants has said it should have been consulted over the Government's plans to restrict the Freedom of Information Act.
In its first comment since the proposed changes were announced a week ago, the Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants said its members had never drawn back from the principle of openness and transparency.
The association's general secretary, Mr Sean Ó Riordain, said he would not comment on the substance of the changes proposed.
He said the only criticism the union's members had made of the Act was of the level of resources allocated by public bodies to implement it. The association had called for the introduction of a Freedom of Information Act in 1992, five years before the current legislation was enacted by the Rainbow Coalition.
Mr Ó Riordain said: "Obviously we would prefer that there would be consultations with the civil service unions about this, but we're not getting into the substance of the arguments in a situation where the issue has become heavily politicised."
The group that reviewed the Act and made suggestions for its amendment has said its recommendations were in the public interest. The 2001 annual report of the Information Commissioner, Mr Kevin Murphy, which highlighted what he claimed was an "overly strict interpretation" of certain provisions in the Act, was cited in the papers setting out the terms of the review.
Papers released under the Freedom of Information Act show that key recommendations, such as the imposition of an up-front fee for requests, had already been agreed by the end of the group's second meeting.
In relation to the extension of the protection on Cabinet records to 10 years, the group agreed at that meeting that "five years is too short".
The group, which comprised the secretaries-general of five Government departments, is expected to be called before the Oireachtas Joint Committee of Finance and the Public Service next week. The Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny, said: "We hope on Thursday that we might get some answers on the lack of consultation and the thinking behind the thinking in the high-level group." Three senators wrote yesterday to the cathaoirleach of the Seanad complaining that the next stage of the Bill would be heard at the same time as the Committee of Finance and Public Service held its own hearing.
"We believe that these developments are unprecedented," said the letter, signed by Mr Brian Hayes of Fine Gael, Mr Brendan Ryan of Labour, and the Independent senator, Mr Joe O'Toole.
"It will now be impossible for senators, who are also members of the Finance and Public Service Committee, to attend the report stage of the Bill in the House on Thursday next, as a meeting of committee is scheduled for that morning."
