Written answers

Wednesday, 15 October 2008

Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government

Departmental Bodies

9:00 pm

Photo of Ciarán LynchCiarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 74: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will confirm that the functions of the Private Residential Tenancies Board is outside the scope of the Freedom of Information Act 1997 and the scope of the Office of the Ombudsman; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35191/08]

Photo of Michael FinneranMichael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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The functions of the Private Residential Tenancies Board are, at present, outside the scope of the Freedom of Information Act 1997 and the Ombudsman Act 1980.

The Board commenced operations in September 2004 and has made considerable progress since then. It is my intention that the Board, subject to exemptions that recognise its quasi-judicial functions, should come under the scope of the Freedom of Information Act. My Department is in discussions with the Department of Finance, which has responsibility for the extension of Freedom of Information to further bodies, regarding this.

I do not propose that the Board be brought within the ambit of the Ombudsman Act at present given the quasi-judicial nature of much of its work. However, this is a matter that I will keep under review.

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