Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)

The Minister sets out fairly rigorous procedures that are in place to ensure FOI requests are handled with great propriety. However, the central aspect of my question was whether the Minister or his advisers filter information before it is released. I am thinking in particular of a request filed by my party leader, Deputy Kenny, on 11 March seeking the minutes of the Minister's meeting with the masters of the maternity hospitals. After a delay beyond the 21 working days in issuing the information, it was given to a journalist, Sam Smyth, before the FOI documentation was released to Deputy Kenny.

Will the Minister not accept that this raises serious questions about the impartial operation of the Freedom of Information Act in his Department? Will he not accept that to an outside person it appears that the handling of Freedom of Information Act requests in his Department is being politicised by him?

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