Comments on: FOI and the Gardai

By: OECD/Transparency International report – Ireland – The Story

OECD/Transparency International report – Ireland – The Story — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:57:41 +0000

[...] posts from this website on Garda secrecy and unaccountability: ‘Gardai and Freedom of Information‘, New details relating to the Terence Wheelock case; Deaths in Garda [...]

By: New details relating to Terence Wheelock case – The Story

New details relating to Terence Wheelock case – The Story — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 13:48:05 +0000

[...] western Europe which falls outside the Freedom of Information process. Again I quote Gavin’s prior post on this matter. All that is needed for An Garda Síochána to come under FOI is the signature of [...]

By: Terrence Wheelock – The Story

Terrence Wheelock – The Story — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:46:41 +0000

[...] is entirely exempt from opening its files to the public: The Republic of Ireland. Gavin also noted the publication of the report on the day. All that is needed for An Garda Síochána to come under FOI is the signature of Finance Minister [...]

By: Mark Coughlan

Mark Coughlan — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:42:05 +0000

Covered by FOI means the country has an FOI system and the police is automatically part of that. “Included” means the police force is included by their FOI system as an entity onto itself (as opposed to as part of a Justice department or something).

I may be wrong, Gav has the skinny.

By: Andrew S

Andrew S — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:16:01 +0000

I can’t read the key to the diagram clearly but from what I can glean by squinting, it appears to have categories of ‘covered by FOIA’ and ‘Included in FOIA’ – if my squint-aided reading is correct, what is the difference between the two?

By: Ciarán

Ciarán — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:11:28 +0000

I don’t know much about this Gavin but from what I know, the Garda Síochána is unusual as an entity in that it has no legal personality. This means, for instance, that the Gardaí can’t be sued. As I say, I don’t know, but I wonder if this has implications for FOI? My impression is that the force is in law essentially part of the Department of Justice.

By: BP

BP — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:09:12 +0000

But the garda have to protect the little people from hurting themselves with all the dangerous information they have on the people-they-know-are-committing-crimes-but-just-can’t-prove-it.

By: Stephen Dunne

Stephen Dunne — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:37:57 +0000

Interesting yarn in Media Guardian section on police forces and hacks and how reporters are relying on the police for more and more information…http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/dec/07/crime-reporting-newspapers-research