Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 215: To ask the Minister for Finance the number of statutory instruments enacted which affect the scope of the Freedom of Information (Amendment) Act, 2003; the purpose of each of the statutory instruments enacted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12228/09]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Four statutory instruments have been enacted which affect the scope of the Freedom of Information (Amendment) Act, 2003 as follows:

S.I. No. 265 of 2003 extends the right to have personal information amended (which is incorrect, incomplete or misleading), to parents/guardians and specified classes of individuals in respect of minors/incapacitated persons and deceased persons respectively.

S.I. No. 266 of 2003 extends the right to obtain reasons for acts of public bodies affecting individuals, to parents/guardians and specified classes of individuals, as above.

S.I. No. 642 of 2003 prescribes each of the groups listed in the schedule to the S.I. as a public body for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 1997 by their inclusion in subparagraph (5) of paragraph 1 of the First Schedule to that Act. The Act was extended in 2003 to five public bodies all of which were Performance Verification Groups established under the Social Partnership Agreement 'Sustaining Progress'.

S.I. No. 297 of 2006 prescribes each of the bodies listed in the schedule to the S.I. as a public body for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 1997 by their inclusion in subparagraph (5) of paragraph 1 of the First Schedule to that Act. The Act was extended in 2006 to a further 137 public bodies. Included in this extension were County Enterprise Boards, Education Support Centres and other education research, teaching and advisory bodies, together with regulatory bodies in the health sector, such as the Medical Council and An Bord Altranais as well as wide range of other miscellaneous public bodies.

The total number of bodies covered by the Freedom of Information Act is now in excess of 500 bodies.