Charlie McCreevy (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)

As Senators will be aware, we have an elaborate system for supporting the implementation of FOI and for involving the various stakeholders and users of the legislation in dialogue on its operation. Within my Department, the FOI central policy unit chairs an interdepartmental working group and a public service users network with representatives from all sectors of the civil and public service covered by the legislation. Below these two umbrella groups, networks such as those in Government Departments and offices, local authorities, health boards and universities meet regularly to consider issues of common concern and to share learning and experience. All of these networks and groups and the other arrangements underpinning FOI have ensured that the Act has been kept under continuous review since it came into force in 1998 and that a considerable amount of experience has been built up within public bodies.

The Freedom of Information Amendment Bill is based on this experience. It has been prepared on foot of the Government's consideration of the high level group report, which looked at various sources, including the annual reports of the Information Commissioner and his report in July 2001 on compliance by public bodies, the Civil Service users' network report in 1999 and the views of the FOI central policy unit of the Department of Finance, which, as I have said, monitors the implementation of the Act on an ongoing basis.

The views of practitioners in the wider FOI community, such as academics, journalists and frequent users of the legislation, have also been available to the unit on an ongoing basis, through the print and other media and through various conferences hosted and attended by the unit. Included in the latter is the recent FOI annual conference, which was attended by representatives from across public bodies, the media and academia.

The Bill has been informed by a wide range of experience and views over the past five years. It contains sensible, practical measures designed to allow the Government and public administration to work effectively. I commend it to the House.