THE GOVERNMENT is to consider extending the Freedom of Information Act to cover the National Asset Management Agency (Nama)
Minister for Finance Michael Noonan told the Dáil last week the new Department of Public Expenditure and Reform was carrying out preparatory work to overhaul the scope of the Freedom of Information Act.
“When this work is completed the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, will bring proposals to the Government.
“The proposals will include consideration of the extension of the provisions of the Freedom of Information Acts to all statutory bodies including the National Assets Management Agency,” he told Dominic Hannigan of the Labour Party in a parliamentary reply.
The programme for government contains a commitment to remove restrictions to the Freedom of Information Act introduced by a Fianna Fáil-led administration several years ago.
The programme says that the legislation will be extended to cover the administrative side of An Garda Síochána, subject to security exemptions.
It also says that all statutory bodies and organisations which receive significant funds from the public purse will be covered by the Act.
Nama was one of the bodies which the Information Commissioner Emily O’Reilly recently specifically suggested should be covered by the Freedom of Information Act.
In her recent annual report Ms O’Reilly urged that public bodies such as the Garda and agencies dealing with banking and immigration issues be brought under the scope of the Freedom of Information legislation as a matter of priority.
“Exclusion of significant financial bodies such the National Treasury Management Agency, Nama and the Central Bank denies the general public of its right as taxpayers, who shoulder the burden of the country’s debt, to try to get to the truth of what happened,” she said.
Ms O’Reilly welcomed the commitment of the Government to reform the Freedom of Information Acts and remove restrictions imposed by the previous administration.
She said that while it was important all public bodies be covered by the legislation, if additional agencies were to be included on a phased basis, a priority list should be drawn up by the Government.
She said the priority bodies should include An Garda Síochána, the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner, the Office of the Refugee Appeals Tribunal, the Judicial Appointment Advisory Board, the Central Bank, the National Treasury Management Agency and Nama.