Vol. 518 No. 3
139 Mr. McDowell asked the Minister for Finance the reason the Broadcasting Complaints Commission is not covered by the Freedom of Information Act, 1997; the proposals, if any, he has to bring this body under the remit of the Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11447/00]
Since 21 April 1998, when the Freedom of Information, FOI, Act commenced for Departments and related public bodies, its scope has been extended incrementally; first, to health boards and local authorities and subsequently to voluntary hospitals and to certain publicly funded voluntary bodies providing services to people with intellectual disability.
The Government's policy of extending FOI across the wider public service in an incremental fashion as experience is gained in its application continued in July 1999, when the Government decided to extend the scope of the Act further over the subsequent 24 months to certain other bodies in the areas of broadcasting, social services, health, culture, environment, regulation, enterprise and education. The first phase of this extension is due to take place on 1 May 2000 when RTE and TG4 are scheduled to be brought within the scope of the Act.
The Government decision of July last did not encompass the Broadcasting Complaints Commission. Changes to the membership, remit and procedures pertaining to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission are being contemplated in the context of the Broadcasting Bill, 1999. These include a restructuring of the membership of the commission to bring it in line with the structures which apply to RTE in respect of numbers and gender balance, an extension of the remit for the commission to include all broadcasters operating services under contracts entered into by the Independent Radio and Television Commission under the Bill and breaches of code developed by the Independent Radio and Television Commission and a change in procedures to allow a person complain directly to the commission.
The question of including a restructured Broadcasting Complaints Commission in future extensions of the FOI Act will be considered in consultation with the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands.
