I propose to take Questions Nos. 321 and 322 together.
I expect all bodies under the aegis of my Department to adhere to the highest standards of governance and to co-operate fully with the Office of the Information Commissioner.
I do not regard the handling of this particular case by Bord na gCon as satisfactory. In this regard Bord na gCon accepts that there were delays in finalising this particular FOI request and has indicated that these delays were due to significant organisational change and restructuring which were ongoing at that time. However I am assured that there were extensive files on Limerick Stadium.
Bord na gCon has informed me that because this particular FOI request was lengthy and encompassed a wide ranging number of files across many different areas, it required a dedicated staff resource over a number of months to address the queries concerned. The FOI request was recently completed. In light of the findings by the Office of the Information Commissioner, I understand that Bord na gCon is putting resources in place to review its entire document management system.
With regard to governance issues, Bord na gCon submitted an action plan in October 2014 with timelines for implementing the 27 recommendations in the Indecon Report dealing with governance, finance, regulation and welfare. This action plan is published on the BNG website. BNG has assured my Department that it is assiduously following up on these undertakings and I and my Department will be monitoring progress in this regard.
