John Bruton
Question:5 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach the number of requests for information his Department received in the first three days of operation of the Freedom of Information Act, 1997. [9863/98]
Ceisteanna—Questions. - Freedom of Information Act.
Ruairí Quinn
Question:6 Mr. Quinn asked the Taoiseach the number of staff allocated in his office to deal with requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act, 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9865/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 and 6 together.
During the first three days of the operation of the Act, Tuesday, 21 April to Thursday, 23 April, my Department received two requests in writing for information and two telephone requests for application forms.
The number of staff allocated to deal with requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act in my Department is 14 key decision makers across the divisions in my Department mainly at assistant principal officer level, one executive officer, who is the Freedom of Information liaison officer and who is responsible for receiving and monitoring the requests, one assistant secretary and one principal officer responsible for the internal review procedure. The staff involved will carry out these functions within existing staff allocations and additional staff have not been recruited specifically for the operation of the Freedom of Information Act.
It remains to be seen over the next few months whether there will be a requirement for additional staff resources. It is too early to measure the level of requests at this stage or to anticipate the volume of requests that may be received.
Did any of the four requests relate to information about the Office of the Attorney General or the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions? Will the Taoiseach outline what restrictions are placed on information about those offices? To what extent was an effort made in the few days before 21 April to close off files so that they would not be available to the public?
I have no information whatsoever that any effort was made to close off files; certainly nothing was brought to my attention. I do not have the details of the two requests, but if the Deputy wishes I will get them. In terms of the conditions for the Attorney General's office, they are as per the legislation and the guidelines. I have a note on that which I can give the Deputy.
The Taoiseach is responsible to the House to answer questions on the offices of the Attorney General and the Director of Public Prosecutions. Is he aware of what he can or cannot tell the House regarding the information those offices may give to members of the public? That is a crucial area of policy of which the Taoiseach should be aware and his back up notes should have that information. He has been asked how many times this information has been requested.
The specific question put down concerned the number of requests made.
About three weeks ago I gave the data at Question Time in response to Deputy Bruton or Deputy Quinn. I was asked at that stage if I would follow that up with a note, which I did, and I was merely offering the Deputy that note. The legislation and the guidelines set down the information those offices may give. I was asked to prepare a note to make that clear and I have done that.
Is the Taoiseach aware of requests that may have been made to other Government Departments for which he does not have direct responsibility?
I am not, but I gather there were quite a number of phone calls for application forms. I do not think there were many requests for information.
Notwithstanding the information that has been given at Question Time, does the Government Information Services intend placing advertisements or communicating to the public at large that this information is available and that it may be received in a certain format? Will that office describe the kind of information that is available to the public?
Yes. Last week's launch was useful because many libraries and bodies were anxious to get an easy guide. That will probably mean doing a summary from the extensive folders and booklets available at present. I had an opportunity to consider that matter in detail last week and I will make arrangements to provide a more simple version which will be user friendly.
Will the Taoiseach accept that the coming into operation of the Freedom of Information Act provides a new ethos for dealing with information issues that affect Governments and Government Departments? Will he agree that in terms of the manner in which questions are dealt with in the House it is not within the spirit of that ethos that he failed to tell the House, as was announced a few moments ago on the 3 o'clock news, that the Cabinet today deferred making a decision on the Luas issue?
The Deputy was not listening to the answer.
That is a stark example of saying one thing and doing another. The issue of Luas has been deferred.
The Taoiseach is afraid he will be in trouble with the Minister, Deputy O'Rourke, who called a press conference on the matter.
Order, please.
At 2.40 p.m. I told Deputy Shatter that Ministers received the information yesterday and today and that in the next week we will make decisions on the matter and publish the report, which will be an extensive one.
For what was the press conference called?
All the Taoiseach had to say was that he was deferring making a decision because the Minister responsible for the issue failed to give the report to her Cabinet colleagues last Friday.
I would ask the Taoiseach to deal with Question No. 7, please.
If we had made decisions, we would have been wrong and if we had not done so, we would have been wrong.
It took from Friday to last night for the Taoiseach's Cabinet colleagues to get the report.
At least it took us only eight months to carry out a proper survey of the underground option, which the Deputy and his colleagues failed to do.
The Taoiseach has turned into a cul-de-sac.
I have not.