What is the status of the Freedom of Information Act? It needs urgent review, in particular in the context of making sure that information on policy decisions is made available as quickly as possible.

Will the Taoiseach also indicate when the Credit Reporting Bill, which is legislation necessary to establish a credit register to inform lending decisions and improve insolvency procedures, will be published? Given the comments last week from the Central Bank about banks being in denial and behaving like unruly teenagers, the need for the legislation is now urgent.

The amendment to the National Lottery Act specifies that some lottery funding is to go towards a new national children’s hospital, about which the Tánaiste is particularly interested. Could the Taoiseach confirm when the Bill will be published and debated?

Deputy Martin has inquired about three Bills.

The national lottery Bill will be published in this session. The Credit Reporting Bill has been published and is awaiting Second Stage in the House. The status of the Freedom of Information Act is as already outlined. The heads of the Bill have been approved. The Minister has circulated it to the relevant committee, the Joint Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform, for consideration and to hear the views of Members and outside bodies. He hopes to publish the Bill before the end of the year. The impact of the Bill will be to extend the remit of freedom of information legislation to make it more comprehensive, efficient and effective than the Bill that was amended in 2004.