The need for transparency - Fás controversy

Rody Molloy’s position as director general of the state training agency, Fás, became untenable as a result of the travel expenses controversy.

There may well be relatively similar abuses and even worse in other state agencies.

What happened in Fás is probably only the tip of the figurative iceberg.

It is important, however, that this should be fully exposed, if only to guard against such things happening again.

The public service must be held accountable.

Mr Molloy’s resignation should not be the end of the matter, either within Fás or in relation to other government agencies.

The whole thing has highlighted the way that the Freedom of Information Act (FoI) has been largely emasculated by the Government’s introduction of outrageous charges.

It cost €1,000 to access the information at the heart of the latest controversy.

Those charges have been undermining the original purpose of the act.

What happened has dramatised the need for transparency and the importance of ensuring that FoI is allowed to serve its original purpose.

The kind abuses that occurred in Fás will only be eliminated if there is ready access to information.

In this computer age, it should be easy to provide the information to those who pay the bills — the tax paying public.

They should have a right to know how their money is being spent.