Nat O’Connor, political scientist and policy analyst with TASC, was on Morning Ireland (3rd report) explaining how government secrecy was bad for business and chokes democracy.
The report confirms that Ireland is one of the most secretive countries in the Western world.
A comparative study was made of all the advanced industrial countries in the OECD and, not surprisingly, Ireland is at the bottom.
Some examples: Information on government decisions in Holland is available within six weeks. In the Czech Republic 30 days and in South Korea, ten days.
Ireland, according to Mr. O’Connor is in a category of its own (isnt it always?).
Citizens could be waiting up to ten years before papers are released on government decisions.
This policy is, in effect, a total blackout on information because after ten years the decisions taken are merely historical and the damage caused by bad or corrupt decisions will have been done.