State building a ‘culture of secrecy’ says group

AN environmental group yesterday criticised the Government’s “culture of secrecy” after it barred public access to sensitive documents sent by the EU.

Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) claimed the Irish decision to refuse access to documents on EU infringements conflicted with Government policy on transparency.

Cases which previously came to light following the release of EU warning letters included the Kildare by-pass and Carrickmines controversies.

“If we are to be denied these documents, our understanding of the workings of the European Commission will be greatly reduced,” said FIE director Tony Lowes.

The Government has told the EC that Ireland will no longer release the text of warning letters and reasoned opinions relating to legal proceedings.

A warning letter is the first stage of an investigation into alleged infringements of EU directives by a member state, while a reasoned opinion is the final stage before the Commission institutes infringement proceedings in the European Court of Justice.

Mr Lowes said the loss of access to reasoned opinions was a serious blow to citizen’s rights to freedom of information.

Mr Lowes said that, until recently, Irish non-governmental organisations regularly obtained copies of reasoned opinion and warning letters on a variety of cases.

However, he claimed the Department of the Environment’s International Affairs Division told him they had been instructed to refer the release of these documents to the Chief State Solicitors Office, who had subsequently instructed the Department to cease releasing them.