In 1997, the Labour Party in government introduced the Freedom of Information Act. This was a milestone on the road to good governance and best practice in terms of accountability. It was grounded in the belief that public bodies must be accountable to the public and that accountability requires openness.

Freedom of Information has brought about more open government and better administration of public services. The Labour Party believes that transparent governance is to be welcomed and embraced.

Fianna Fáil attacked the principle of Freedom of Information by introducing a prohibitive fee structure. The watering down of the Freedom of Information Act, along with the rise in number of quangos, served to build a barrier between government and the public.

The Labour Party in government will foster a spirit of transparency, accountability and good governance. We will reinstate and extend the Freedom of Information Act and pursue an agenda of Open Data.

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