Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 9 Oct 2002

Vol. 554 No. 5

Written Answers. - Freedom of Information.

Ruairí Quinn

Ceist:

484 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the bodies in or under the aegis of his Department, which have not to date been made subject to the Freedom of Information Act, 1997; if consideration has been given to making each of these bodies subject to the Act; if so, the present state of such consideration; if each of the bodies in question has been consulted in the matter; if so, the present state of such consultations; if each of the bodies will be proposed to be made subject to the Act; if so, when; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16123/02]

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Cowen):

The Advisory Board of Ireland Aid – ABIA – the inaugural meeting of which was held on 30 September 2002, is the only body under the aegis of my Department which has not to date been made subject to the Freedom of Information – FOI – Act.

FOI has been extended to additional public bodies on a phased basis since it commenced in April 1998. The Government has decided that this process should continue so that all bodies appropriate for inclusion are covered by end-2005.

I understand that consultations at official level will be initiated in the near future by the Department of Finance with a view to setting a date for inclusion of the Advisory Board of Ireland Aid.