Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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7. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the remit for his review of the freedom of information system by the terms of reference, stakeholders to be consulted; the proposed date of publication of its findings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45419/21]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I would like to thank the Deputy for the question and am glad to have this opportunity to provide to this House further details on the upcoming review of the Freedom of Information Act.

My Department will in the coming weeks publish a roadmap document that will set out in detail the process for the review and give detailed information on how interested stakeholders can get involved.

My firm belief is that we should be seeking to promote a collaborative approach not only to the review process, but also to “doing transparency” more broadly. We should recognise that all stakeholders, from the public sector to the media, academia, activists and interest groups, as well as individual requesters, have a role to play in delivering effective and meaningful state transparency for the Irish public, and must work together to achieve that goal.

The remit and outcomes of the review will be driven by evidence. The review will accordingly seek inputs from the broadest possible range of stakeholders throughout the process. It is planned that public consultation will take place later this year, which will largely determine the scope of the review. I would urge all interested parties to take this opportunity to make their voices heard and to define the issues that will be considered in the review.

Following the scoping consultation, my Department will prepare and publish a document setting out the issues that have been identified. This document will be published and a further consultation will take place early in the new year that will allow stakeholders the opportunity to make detailed submissions based on the themes that have been identified. These submissions will be central to the outcome of the review.

Alongside the public consultation process, my Department will undertake focused and targeted information gathering, driven by any knowledge gaps identified as the review progresses.

Two particular projects have already been identified as necessary and will commence later in the year. Firstly, a customer satisfaction survey will be undertaken to assess the attitudes of requesters and staff members of public bodies towards the FOI process. Secondly, a project that aims to assess the cost of FOI, so that we can have a clear picture of the resourcing demands that are required to operate the system as it currently stands.

In addition, the review will consider international good practice and developments and seek to take account of the transformation in the manner in which people interact with information since the 2014 Act came into force.

Finally, as a key sectoral stakeholder with a unique and unrivalled understanding of the operation of the Freedom of Information Act, my Department will consult with the Office of the Information Commissioner on an ongoing basis as the review progresses.

By the middle of next year, my Department will be in a position to prepare a report for publication setting out the findings and recommendations of the review.