Freedom of Information Act to be widened to include health, public services and colleges

Certain major hospitals and mental health services will come under the scope of the Freedom of Information Act for the first …

Certain major hospitals and mental health services will come under the scope of the Freedom of Information Act for the first time later this week.

There are also plans to include public service bodies such as FAS, Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and the regulators for telecommunications and electricity in the Act from early next year.

The Act is to be extended in the coming months to include RTE, TG4, the Independent Radio and Television Commission, the Arts Council and universities.

From Thursday next, October 21st, the public will be able to access information from publicly funded voluntary hospitals, including Beaumont, Tallaght, St Vincent's, the Coombe, the Rotunda and the National Maternity Hospital.

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Voluntary organisations providing mental health services and services to people with intellectual disabilities will also come under the scope of the Act, including the Brothers of Charity, Camphill Communities of Ireland, Cheeverstown House Ltd in Templeogue, the COPE Foundations, Peamount Hospital in Co Dublin, and some services provided by the Sisters of Charity.

The Act came into being on April 21st, 1998. In the eight-month period to December 1998, 3,286 requests were dealt with.

Of this figure, 179 cases were reviewed by the Freedom of Information Commissioner, Mr Kevin Murphy. Some 148 requests for reviews related to decisions to refuse access to information sought.

Mr Murphy recently said the media had a primary role in ensuring the effective use of the Freedom of Information Act and warned that changing from a culture of secrecy to one of openness was never going to be easy.

The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said in the Dail last week that the Act was being abused and this would have to be addressed.

However, the legislation was not being abused by journalists or politicians but by members of the public and private companies. Mr Ahern said the Act was being used by commercial interests to try to decipher information which could be used against competitors.