Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 82: To ask the Minister for Finance his views on the Information Commissioner's annual report 2005 and in particular the disappointment expressed in the report that a number of public bodies of some considerable significance remain outside of the Freedom of Information Act's scope. [19214/06]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Information Commissioner's Annual Report for 2005. I particularly welcome her finding that the FOI Act continues to achieve positive and notable outcomes both for individual requesters and for society generally.

In the Report, the Information Commissioner sets out her thinking on a number of issues, including a need for amended FOI legislation concerning access to the personal records of deceased persons. The Information Commissioner's views on this matter are being considered by my Department at present.

The Report also draws attention to certain bodies that are not subject to FOI. Extension of the FOI Act to a number of the bodies identified by the Information Commissioner is being examined by my Department at present. FOI has been extended gradually as experience has been gained in its application. The Act applied to just 67 bodies when it was introduced in April 1998, mainly to Government Departments and Offices and closely related bodies. In October 1998, the Act was extended to the former health boards and to local authorities. One year later, a further large group of bodies, including voluntary hospitals and bodies dealing with people with an intellectual disability, were brought under its remit. Bodies in the broadcasting sector came within the scope of the Act in 2000.

In 2001 and 2002 the Act was further extended to a range of public and publicly funded bodies in the social services, health, regulatory, environment, cultural and enterprise areas and to universities, institutes of technology and colleges of education.

In October last year, I announced plans to extend the Act to a further 137 bodies which will bring to over 500 the number of bodies subject to Freedom of Information. The necessary regulations to give effect to this extension are currently before the Houses and will be made once the necessary approval has been obtained in each House.