Irish Commissioner criticises culture of secrecy

Irish Commissioner criticises culture of secrecy

Irish Information Commissioner, Emily O'Reilly, has criticised the culture of secrecy in public bodies in Ireland. It is claimed by the Sunday Tribune that a previously unpublished report from Emily O'Reilly highlights the Government's failure to include agencies such as An Garda Síochána, the Adoption Board and the Central Bank under the Irish FOI Act. In the report she is alleged to attack the government's commitment to the Freedom of Information Act, and its failure to extend it.

It is also revealed that she was not consulted before the government introduced the changes to the legislation last September. The Sunday Tribune, a newspaper that O'Reilly previously worked for, says that in the report which was delivered to an Oireachtas Committee on Finance last month, Ms O'Reilly calls for the new Garda Ombudsman to be covered by the Act.

Ombudsman: "Culture of secrecy" still exists in Ireland (Unison.ie website, 15 January 2006 - free registration required)

O'Reilly slams 'culture of secrecy' (RTE news, 15 January 2006)

Update: see also Govt accused over 'culture of secrecy' (Ireland on-line 15 January 2006)