Additional freedom of information charges would have cost us all dearly

POLITICIANS hate being forced by public pressure to change their minds, in case it is regarded as weakness. So, they plough on obstinately with an announced course of action, even though they know that it is wrong, and though they are attracting enormous criticism.

Politicians do change their minds, but usually quietly and they deny outside influence. So Brendan Howlin’s climbdown on his proposal to allow public servants to demand multiple fees to facilitate on freedom-of-information requests was unusual and praiseworthy.

He still deserves criticism for trying to bring increased FoI charges into law. Here is what happened: last Friday, quietly, Howlin, as the responsible minister, slipped amendments into the FoI legislation (he had announced the legislation in July). The amendments would have allowed public officials in receipt of requests under FoI to say that a standard €15 application fee would not cover all of the cost of their work.