[Okfn-irl] Fwd: [Press Release] Open Letter Calling for Abolishing FOI/AIE Fees

Denis Parfenov denis.parfenov at okfirl.org
Fri Apr 11 14:17:11 UTC 2014


**Apologies for cross posting**

*** Please feel free to share widely***

Hi all,

*This open letter (Link to Letter
<http://irl.okfn.org/2014/04/11/open-letter-calling-for-abolishing-foiaie-fees/>)
is addressed to Minister Brendan Howlin of the Department of Public
Expenditure and Reform and is asking to drop all fees at all stages of FOI
and AIE requests and to include this as a commitment in the forthcoming 1st
Irish OGP (Open Government Partnership) Action Plan. *


*Relevance: *
The Minister talks about the FOI
Bill<http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2014-04-08a.673&s=FOI+%22Freedom+of+Information%22#g675.r>but
not about dropping fees.
Civil society has had made it a priority that FOI and AIE fees be dropped
as part of the ongoing process to draft Ireland's 1st OGP Action Plan here
(no. 4.06)<http://www.ogpireland.ie/2013/10/02/final-report-ogp-consultation/>
.

The government will publish a version of the 1st Irish OGP Action Plan at
the OGP Regional Conference in
May.<http://www.per.gov.ie/ireland-to-host-open-government-partnership-ogp-europe-regional-meeting-in-2014/>


*The Need*
The need for the open letter arises from the fact that this proposed
commitment has been struck from the current draft OGP Action Plan by the
department irrespective of the recommendations from the public meetings and
the group of civil society actors that has been reviewing the evolving
draft over the past 2 months.

*The Opportunity*
The letter highlights the opportunity that the Government has as part of
the OGP Action Plan and its commitment to the Open Government Partnership
to change course in the FOI legislation that is currently being debated.

*Irish Citizens consider free FOI an OGP priority*
Citizens who participated in 3 public meetings in Wood Quay during the
consultation on Ireland's participation in the Open Government Partnership
between July and September 2013 highlighted "abolishing fees for all stages
of FOI and Access to Environmental Information (AIE) requests" as an OGP
priority'. A vote was put forward at the last public meeting on Sept. 5th
and it was carried unanimously.

More info about Ireland's process to become a full member of the Open
Government Partnership. <http://www.opengovpartnership.org/country/ireland>

For questions or more information please contact Denis Parfenov
(+353863850044 / denis.parfenov at okfirl.org) or Flora Fleischer
(+353851587423 / flora.fleischer at okfirl.org)

Best,
Denis
-- 

Denis Parfenov | OKF Ambassador for Ireland | m: +353863850044 |
@prfnv<https://twitter.com/prfnv>
[.org <http://prfnv.org/>] | @OKFirl <https://twitter.com/OKFirl>
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