Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 22 Mar 2000

Vol. 516 No. 4

Written Answers. - Freedom of Information Act.

Noel Ahern

Question:

77 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Finance if agencies under the control of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, for example Teagasc, are included under the scope of the Freedom of Information Act, 1997; and, if not, when they will be included. [8417/00]

Minister for Finance (Mr. McCreevy)

The Freedom of Information Act, 1997, commenced for central government and related public bodies on 21 April 1998 and was extended to health boards and local authorities six months later and to voluntary hospitals and certain publicly funded voluntary bodies providing services to people with an intellectual disability on 21 October 1999.

In December last year, the Government decided to extend the Act incrementally between May 2000 and no later than July 2001 to a range of other bodies in the enterprise, electricitytelecoms regulation, cultural and broadcasting, universities, health services, environment and social services sectors.

As regards further extensions of the Act, our position is that FOI will be extended incrementally across the wider public service as experience is gained in its application. While the plans for the extension of the Act over the next 18 months do not include Teagasc or other agencies under the control of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, they will be considered for future extensions.