The Information Commissioner, Emily O'Reilly, today (28th April 2010) published her Annual Report for 2009. It is the twelfth report since the founding of the Office in 1998. In her Report the Commissioner: criticises the practice of removing public bodies that have been subject to Freedom of Information (FOI) from the scope of the FOI Acts; notes that a number of key public bodies, including those in the financial and economic sectors, still remain outside the scope of FOI; records a 7% increase in appeals to her Office against decisions of public bodies and an upsurge of 13% in FOI requests to public bodies.

Big upsurge in Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to public bodies - up 18% to 12.672 in 2008. Information Commissioner Emily O'Reilly calls for new look at the role of FOI in holding to account public bodies involved in financial management and requlation who are currently outside of her FOI remit.

Address by Emily O'Reilly, Commissioner for Environmental Information at Irish Environmental Law Association