Irish Commissioner's Annual Report for 2005

Irish Commissioner's Annual Report for 2005

The Irish Information Commissioner and Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly, has critised the Irish Government for failing to include a number of significant bodies in the Republic of Ireland's Freedom of Information Act.

The Irish Commissioner's Annual Report was issued on 11 May 2006 and reveals a 16 per cent increase in the number of Freedom of Information requests. O'Reilly says in her report that there was a total of 14,616 information requests made in the last year. But the number of appeals on decisions taken by public bodies was down 12 per cent on 2004.

Ms O'Reilly expressed her disappointment that a number of organisations will not be covered by the extension to the Freedom of Information Act as announced by Brian Cowen in 2005. O`Reilly says the Gardai, the Garda Ombudsman, the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner and Appeals Tribunal, the Central Bank and other financial institutions should be included. She also urged the Health Service Executive (HSE) to begin publishing their inspection reports into nursing homes as recommended in her last report.

O'Reilly call over Freedom of Information (Ulster TV news, 11 May 2006)

Irish Commissioner's Annual Report 2005 (Irish Commissioner's website, 11 May 2006)

Press release (Irish Commissioner's website, 11 May 2006)