Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

One of the Taoiseach's responsibility is contact with Northern Ireland. Under the Freedom of Information Act in Northern Ireland, there is widespread availability of information for citizens on the PSNI. This is denied only in specific and exceptional circumstances. Now that the Garda Síochána is being reformed, does the Taoiseach have a view on whether the FOI Act should be extended to it?

I look forward to the Minister for Finance coming to the House with a new and broad range of proposals on the Freedom of Information Act. In the past, he expressed himself as a liberal on these issues, stating that people should have access to this information, that the Government, its agencies and public departments do not do anything illegal and therefore citizens should be aware of these things. I look forward to the Minister for Finance, with the imprimatur of the Taoiseach, telling us what he will do.

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