Denis Naughten
Question:142 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans he has to review procedures regarding the Freedom of Information Act, 1997. [21858/01]
Written Answers. - Freedom of Information.
The report of the Information Commissioner on the implementation of the FOI Act noted that on the whole, the procedures adopted for the processing of requests have been satisfac tory. However, the commissioner noted a number of instances where practices across public bodies have not met the standards set out in the Act.
In relation to my Department, the commissioner noted the exceptional circumstances prevailing in regard to the level of requests being received from persons who were formerly resident in industrial or reformatory schools. These requests now account for over 2,000 of the approximately 3,500 requests received by my Department to date.
My Department is currently working with an external agency to establish a new system to process these requests. This system is intended to ensure that requests made will be answered in a timely manner, that the manner of release of the information is sensitive to the circumstances and history of the individual making the request, and will be able to assist individuals with any further searches that they may wish to carry out, depending on the circumstances and wishes of the requester. There remain some legal issues which require clarification but I hope that the new system can be put in place in the near future.
The commissioner also noted some other general difficulties in the operation of the Act in my Department, in particular in relation to the dealings with his office. These difficulties have stemmed from the fact that given the heavy volume of requests being received by my Department, the central FOI unit, which also handles liaison with the Office of the Information Commissioner has been under severe pressure to meet all the demands being placed upon it. In terms of dealing with this issue, over the longer term the establishment of a new system to handle requests relating to industrial and reformatory schools will relieve this pressure; in the short term the staffing position in the FOI unit is being reviewed.