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Annual Report 2008 - Text

Public Bodies outside the scope of the FOI Act

It remains a concern to me that certain public bodies remain outside the scope of the FOI Act as it heads into its second decade of operation. I have used my Annual Reports over the years to comment on this issue; last year I highlighted the absence from the FOI regime of An Garda SÍochána and bodies in the Justice sector such as those concerned with Refugees. The situation has not changed at the time of writing. It seems an opportune time to point out that several bodies in the financial regulatory area have not been brought under the FOI Act by the Minister for Finance so that members of the public have no statutory right of access to the records of these public bodies who play a key role in the economic stability of the State. The following public bodies are just some of those which remain outside the scope of FOI:

- An Garda Síochána, the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner, the Office of the Refugee Appeals Tribunal, the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board;

- The Central Bank and Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ireland, the National Treasury Management Agency, the National Pension Reserve Fund Commission, and the State Claims Agency;

- The 33 Vocational Educational Committees, the State Examinations Commission, the Residential Institutions Redress Board, the Central Applications Office.

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