Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

But his functions are exempt from the FOI legislation because he is in the President's office. That is no reflection on the incumbent, who is a good person. The officeholder changes from time to time. Is the Minister happy that one branch of the Civil Service is excluded under the legislation? He is essentially arguing in favour of this. The Dáil votes on the money provided to the President's office. The Minister is correct that the office is accountable to the Comptroller and Auditor General and PAC, although it is not accountable to an Oireachtas joint committee. Why then exclude those functions from the legislation? There is no logic to it.