Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

However, I will have to put down a new amendment on a subject which I only researched today. In her report on 2012 Ms O'Reilly expressed disappointment at the decision of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to stop collating the statistics on FOI returns due to the unsustainable administrative workload. The Information Commissioner was consequently unable to publish information and provide a commentary in her annual report on FOI requests made to that public body in 2012. It is not good enough that a Department would say it does not have the time or resources for this. Maybe the Minister could take that particular point on board and address it in legislation, not to allow a Department to shove FOI to one side or into the waste paper bin if it so chooses.

We will have the FOI Bill coming next week. Mr. Tyndall will observe closely. I hope we will have abolished fees by the time he takes up his office. I hope Irish Water, a public body, will be under his remit. I hope the secrecy provisions embedded in several other items of legislation, and on which Ms O'Reilly disagreed with various Departments, will be changed on Committee Stage and that Mr. Tyndall will have a successful career in his office as Ombudsman and Information Commissioner on behalf of the public he serves.

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