Press release
Minister McGrath announces next phase in Review of Freedom of Information Act
From Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform is pleased to announce the next phase of consultation in the ongoing Review of Freedom of Information Act , which will inform the direction of travel for FOI and transparency policy in the coming years.
The consultation document aims to open a conversation around how best to address issues relating to FOI and transparency policy, ensuring that the system is fulfilling its objectives and enhancing transparency across the public sector.
It sets out a broad range of key themes for consideration. These themes were identified through a public consultation on scope carried out late last year. These are classified as either short term incremental reforms aimed at improving the operation of the legislation in light of issues that have arisen in practice, or, longer term structural reforms aiming to ensure that the underlying model remains fit for purpose and keeps pace with the latest technological developments.
The Department is now seeking views from the public and interested stakeholders on the themes identified in the consultation document.
Minister McGrath has welcomed the publication of the consultation document, saying:
“The review of the Freedom of Information Act represents an important opportunity to assess the effectiveness of the FOI system in Ireland. The level of interest in the review to date, with almost 1,200 submissions from all sectors in the scoping phase, illustrates the importance and seriousness with which FOI and transparency policy are viewed by the public as well as public sector stakeholders.
"This latest phase of consultation is an opportunity to have your say on specific themes identified through the scoping process. I would encourage all interested parties to make their voices heard on potential reforms to FOI, ensuring that the FOI legislation continues to deliver on its goals of openness, transparency and accountability of public bodies”.
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
The consultation period will run from Wednesday, June 16th to August 2th. Further details on how to respond can be found on page 9 of the consultation document.
Background information:
The Public Consultation Document has been developed on foot of a public scoping survey which took place in December 2021. Participants were asked to identify key issues relating to the FOI system in Ireland, elements that they felt were working well and challenges they had experienced.
In the scoping process, 1,171 submissions were received from various stakeholders, including activists, journalists, members of the public and public sector employees. This consultation document highlights the key issues identified by scoping survey participants, including quotes from respondents to illustrate the broad range of viewpoints that were represented.
This consultation is accompanied by other strands of work, including a review of international best practice, a project designed to estimate the cost of FOI to the exchequer, and a customer satisfaction survey. Once this information gathering work is concluded, a report will be prepared for government later in the year with recommendations for improvements to the FOI system, which may include amendments to the legislation. .