Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
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Question 49: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when the heads of the freedom of information (amendment) Bill will be brought to Cabinet to be approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25283/11]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Deputy will be aware of the significant commitments given in the programme for Government to restore the Freedom of Information Act, to extend its remit to other public bodies including the administrative side of the Garda Síochána, subject to security exceptions and to extend the Act to ensure that all statutory bodies and all bodies significantly funded from the public purse, are covered. To this end my Department is currently reviewing the Freedom of Information Acts in light of the programme commitments to inform the preparation of appropriate legislative amendments for my consideration in the first instance and the Government in due course.

Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
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Question 50: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when the heads of the public interest disclosure Bill will be brought to Cabinet to be approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25284/11]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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My Department is currently preparing the General Scheme of the Bill to give effect to the commitments in the Programme for Government to introduce whistleblowers legislation. It is planned to submit the Draft Heads to the Government in the autumn of 2011 with a view to securing approval for the drafting of a Bill by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel.

The objective of the legislation is to provide overarching legislation for enactment by the Oireachtas providing for good faith reporting and protected disclosure on a consistent basis across all sectors of the economy. The proposed legislation is, therefore, intended to provide an overarching legal charter for good faith reporting and protected disclosure for all employees and contractors, in both the public and private sectors. It will seek to ensure that all such parties will be treated equally and fairly within a unitary legislative framework.

In overall terms, the legislation will build on international precedents and best practice as well as the sectoral protections already in place in Ireland. The proposed legislation will address a number of significant issues, including the precise definition of good faith reporting and protected disclosure to be adopted; the scope of issues to be comprehended by whistleblowing; the rights of the complainant; the rights of the person, body or organisation complained of; appeal mechanisms and redress for employees against retributive action by employers.

Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
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Question 51: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when the heads of the Valuation Act 2001 (Amendment) Bill will be brought to Cabinet to be approved in view of the need to reduce the costs of the doing businesses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25286/11]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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My Department is currently considering proposals to amend the Valuation Act 2001 to modernise and streamline the valuation process in the interests of both the ratepayers and the local authorities. Preliminary Heads of Bill have been drafted and a significant amount of technical work has already been undertaken in conjunction with the Valuation Office and the Attorney General. My objective is to have the heads of a bill amending the Valuation Act 2001 brought to Government for approval in this session.

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Proposals to give effect to the recommendations of the Advisory Group on Media Mergers, which was established in 2008 to review the current legislative framework regarding the public interest aspects of media mergers, will be included in legislation being drafted to, inter alia, merge the Competition Authority and the National Consumer Agency and reform aspects of competition law. It is my intention to publish this Bill early next year.

The remit of the Advisory Group and my public interest role under the Competition Act 2002 relate solely to mergers involving a media business. The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland also have a function in relation to media diversity.