Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 503: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the State, semi-State, State-sponsored and statutory bodies under the aegis of his Department which are not subject to the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 1997; the reason a body is not subject to the requirements of the Act; and if he envisages proposals to bring any such body within the scope of the Act in the foreseeable future. [1708/05]

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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The Freedom of Information Act applies to all State, semi-State, State-sponsored and statutory bodies directly under the aegis of my Department.

Tourism Ireland Limited is a North-South co-operation body accountable to the North-South Ministerial Council and, as is the case with the six North-South implementation bodies established under the Good Friday Agreement, the Freedom of Information Act does not apply. With the advent of a statutory freedom of information regime in the UK since the start of the year, the issue of a voluntary code of practice on access to information in respect of the North-South implementation bodies is now being addressed and such a code may come into effect later in the year. Tourism Ireland Limited is not an implementation body but the issue of whether or how such a code might apply to it is being examined.