More public bodies brought under scope of FoI Act

The Government has reportedly extended the Freedom of Information Act to cover 137 extra public bodies.

Reports this morning said the new bodies were brought within the scope of the legislation last night under a regulation proposed by Junior Minister Noel Treacy and approved by the Oireachtas finance committee.

However, the extra bodies do not include most of those that Information Commissioner Emily O'Reilly has said should be covered by the act.

These include the Garda Siochána, the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner, the Refugee Appeals Tribunal and the Residential Institutions Redress Board.