Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
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301. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when he expects to bring the Private Residential Tenancies Board under the scope of the Freedom of Information Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18584/13]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Drafting of the new Freedom of Information (FoI) Bill is at an advanced stage and it is currently planned that, following Government consideration, the Bill will be published during the current Oireachtas session.

The purpose of the Bill is to address the main substantive restrictions in access to official information introduced in 2003, to extend Freedom of Information to all public bodies, to provide a framework for the extension of FOI to non-public bodies in receipt of significant funding from the Exchequer as well as to consolidate, modernise and update the legislation. In terms of extending freedom of information to all public bodies, the Bill will contain a generic definition which will enable FOI to apply to all public bodies unless specifically exempt. On that basis, the Private Residential Tenancies Board will be comprehended by the generic definition contained in the Bill and will become subject to FoI under the new legislation when enacted in due course.

It is intended that the Private Residential Tenancies Board, along with other public bodies not currently subject to FoI, will be allowed a six month period to prepare within their organisation for the application of FoI to its records.