Railway Safety Act 2005

Disclosure of confidential information.

21.—(1) Save as otherwise provided by law, a person shall not disclose confidential information obtained by him or her while performing duties as a commissioner, member of staff or an adviser or consultant to the Commission, unless he or she is duly authorised by the Commission to do so.

(2) In this section, “duly authorised” means authorised by the Commission or by some person authorised in that behalf by the Commission for the purposes of this section.

(3) A person who contravenes subsection (1) is guilty of an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding €3,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months, or to both.

(4) (a) In this section, “confidential information” means that which is expressed by the Commission to be confidential either as regards particular information or as regards information of a particular class or description.

(b) In expressing information to be confidential, the Commission shall have regard to the requirement to protect information of a confidential commercial nature.

(5) Nothing in subsection (1) shall prevent the disclosure of information in a report made by or on behalf of the Commission to the Minister.

(6) The Third Schedule to the Freedom of Information Act 1997 is amended by the insertion in Part I at the end thereof:

(a) in column (2) of “Railway Safety Act 2005”, and

(b) in column (3) of “Section 21 (1)”.