John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Question 103: To ask the Minister for Finance the persons to whom information regarding political party policy costing requests are made available; the persons to whom they should not be available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24810/06]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, for many years and with the agreement of successive Ministers for Finance, the Department has made available a facility for costing proposals of political parties on a confidential basis. The arrangements were reviewed following the last General Election and a report on the matter is now on my Department's website. The recommendations contained in the Report are being implemented.

The essential feature of the arrangements is, and always has been, that information on what proposals were costed, or the costs provided, are given only to those within the Department who need to know for the purpose of meeting the request. In particular, information is not passed to the Minister, the Minister of State, or any political advisors or other political appointees.

The procedure to ensure confidentiality of the processing of such costings within the Department, or where other Departments or Offices are being consulted, is laid down in an Office Notice (3/06) and I will arrange to have a copy sent to the Deputy. Requests for costings are made direct to the Secretary General of the Department of Finance. Officials who carry out such costings exercises are not normally made aware of the source of the request and all relevant records of the Department on such costings are kept centrally, under lock and key, by a Principal Officer who co-ordinates the process and is a member of staff of the Office of the Secretary General for that purpose.

The same official acts as the Deciding Officer in respect of any request received under the Freedom of Information Act relating to such records. As the Deputy will be aware, Section 46 (1)(da) of the Freedom of Information Act 2003 provides that the FOI Act does not apply to "a record held by a public body relating to the costing, assessment or consideration of any proposal of a political party carried out for or on behalf of that party".

I believe that the system in place protects the confidentiality of the requests and this should assuage the concerns of the Deputy in this regard.