Richard Kearney and Dermot Moran talk to Douglas Gageby

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Nov 24, 1983 - access by the public to government records and ... ment and a voice of public opinion. ... DM: The newspapers in Ireland have had a long.
Council of Europe has investigated the need for improved public information. On February 1, 1979, it adopted Recommendation No. 854 on access by the public to government records and freedom of information. Subsequently, on 25 November 1981, the Committee of Ministers adopted Recommendation No. R(81) 19 to member states on the access to information held by public authorities. The "Principles" which form the appendix to this recommendation include the foUowing:"Everyone within the jurisdiction of a member state shall have the right to obtain, on request, information held by the public authorities other than legislative bodies and judicial authorities. "Effective and appropriate means shall be pro\tided to ensure access to information. "Access to information shall not be refused on the grounds that the requesting person has not a specific interest in the matter. "The foregoing principles shall apply subject only to such limitations as are necessary in a democratic society for the protection of legitimate public interests ... "Any refusal of information shall be subject to review on request."13 On May 31, 1983, the Taoiseach, Dr. FitzGerald, told the Executive of the International Federation of Journalists: "As a democratic society the Irish are deeply committed to the ideal of the freedom of the press. We believe that a free press is essential if citizens are to be fully informed. A free press in our SOCiety also serves an important monitoring function because it acts as a critic of government and a voice of public opinion. It follows that we support a free flow of information at international level and we subscribe to the freedom of information."14 In the light of the specific nature of the Council of Europe recommendations (from which the Irish government representatives, unlike those from Italy and Luxembourg, did not dissent), the Taoiseach's commitment was considerably less than generous - shadow rather than substance, in fact. We are not the only country in Europe to main· tain archaic and anti-democratic restrictions on the availability of public documentation. What I am afraid of, in the light of almost twenty five years experience of both journalism and politics, is that, on the basis of our track record, we may be the last country in Europe to dispense with them.

NOTES "P.mlith, Journalist," by P.G. Wodehouse, London. 1923, p. 33.

Public Responsibility and The Press: I

Richard Kearney and Dermot Moran talk to Douglas Gageby

2. The Sunday Tribune. 17 April, 1983.

3. This organisation opc.

DC: Some of those appointments may be jobs that would not take seven days a week. To be editor of a daily newspaper is a seven,day a week job. RK:

Last que!>llon; a quote from Tim Pal Coogan - "Douglas Gageby is the most outstandin~ editor of his timr.>". Do you agr('r.>?

DG: My answer is: go to HelL

DM: Is there any final ccomment you would Uke to make: DG: Yes, I think we've got Lo remember~· what I said to the Merriman school - that everything done in the newspaper is done watching the clock. We are always thinking: if we had more time we would do this differently. Let us a!! be conscious of the fact that newspapers are produced in a hurry, even in a frenzy; so our mistakes are there daily for everyone to see. Not so with doctors, lawyers, civil servants, academics. even. So don't shoot the editor.