Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 9 Oct 2002

Vol. 554 No. 5

Written Answers. - Freedom of Information.

Ruairí Quinn

Ceist:

1055 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Health and Children 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. [16127/02]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin):

The bodies under the aegis of my Department that have not to date been made subject to the Freedom of Information Act, FOI, are:

The National Cancer Registry

The Health Research Board

GMS (Payments) Board

The Medical Council

The Dental Council

The Opticians Board

The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland

The National Disease Surveillance Centre

The Office of Tobacco Control

The Crisis Pregnancy Agency

The Special Residential Services Board

The Health Insurance Authority

The Health Services Employers Agency

The Women's Health Council

Consultative Council on Hepatitis C

An Bord Altranais (The Nursing Board)

Board for the Employment of the Blind

Dental Health Foundation

Drug Treatment Centre Board

Food Safety Promotion Board

Hospitals Trust Board

National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery

Office of Health Management

Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council

Office for Health Gain.

A number of other bodies under the aegis of my Department may be appropriate for inclusion under FOI and consideration will be given to their inclusion following consultation with the Department of Finance.

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 the end of 2005. The extension of FOI to the above bodies will be considered in this context. 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 their inclusion.

Question No. 1056 answered with Question No. 975.