Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 118: To ask the Minister for Finance his views on the Information Commissioners call for more openness in relation to records held by the public service. [19422/06]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is firmly committed to ensuring openness and transparency in relation to information held by public bodies, consistent with the right to privacy and the public interest. These principles are enshrined in the Freedom of Information [FOI] Act and have been central to the modernisation programme of the last decade and more. Since April 1998, FOI has been extended from 67 bodies to approximately 380 today. The Act will shortly be extended to 137 more bodies. Public bodies are proactively releasing much more information either directly or indirectly as a result of the FOI Act and other changes introduced under the public service modernisation programme.