During the past few years Ireland has, often painfully, been forced to grow up and rip apart the veil of secrecy which, for decades, smothered our society. We have been forced to throw the squinting windows wide open and admit that society is not immune from violence in the home, child neglect, crime and questionable financial dealings in high places.
As the State attains social and political maturity it is under a particular obligation to recognise and respect the maturity of its citizens. The policy document A Government of Renewal, is strongly committed to ensuring citizens have maximum access to information. The three Government parties are committed to ensuring that, in future, power will not be exercised behind the closed doors of smoke filled rooms. We are determined to ensure that power deriving from the people will be exercised in the full view of the people.
Freedom of information goes further than amending the Officials Secrets Act and reviewing the Cabinet confidentiality rule, important as these are. The time has come to recognise that Irish citizens are capable of handling information, distinguishing the good from the bad and the mediocre and making clear choices. Yet, sad to reflect in 1995 our citizens are denied access to the works of authors ranging from Bertrand Russell to Upton Sinclair because their works were deemed to be indecent, obscene or because they advocate "the unnatural prevention of conception"— we all know how unnatural it is to plan one's family — according to section 16 (5) of the Censorship of Publications Act, 1946.
Freedom of information, Irish style, means that Old Moore's Almanac, 1951 and 1964 are deemed unfit for adult consumption. Freedom of information, Irish style, means that Irish citizens are not considered mature enough to read H. G. Wells's work entitled The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind. It means that while we can watch Taggart or Hillstreet Blues on television we cannot read anodyne detective stories published in the 1950s because they are banned. Freedom of information, Irish style, means that some of Simone de Beauvoir's books are taboo as we near the end of the 20th century. These books, with many others, are listed in part 2 of the Register of Prohibited Publications and will remain prohibited until the appeal board revokes the prohibition order. A quick glance at the register takes one back to an earlier and infinitely nastier time when Archbishop McQuaid was in his palace, de Valera was in the Park and individual freedom was sacrificed to social conformity.
There are books on the list which have been prohibited for over 60 years. Many of them can be bought in any reputable book store and I am sure Members probably have some of them on their shelves at home. Yet, technically and legally, they remain banned until the author, publishers or five Members of the Oireachtas make representations to the appeal board seeking a review. Many of the authors are dead, many of the publishers have gone out of business and it would be a painstaking exercise for five Members of the Oireachtas to trawl through 40 close-typed pages seeking books on which to appeal.
The greater good will always demand that some forms of information are restricted. No society in these days of multi-media and new technologies can allow an information free for all. I have no problem with legislation which restricts the availability of video nasties for children or with the prohibition on incitement to hatred legislation. I wish its provisions were invoked more often.
While innocuous books by Bertrand Russell or Upton Sinclair remain banned, not one prosecution has been taken so far under our anti-hate laws. I urge the Minister to undertake a thorough review, in the short term, of the Register of Prohibited Publications and, in the long term, of our censorship legislation.
