The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Mr Brendan Howlin TD today (16 May 2013) issued a letter of intent to the co-chairs of the Open Government Partnership confirming Ireland’s intention to join the OGP.
Letter attached.This follows a recent Government Decision approving Ireland’s involvement in the global multi-lateral initiative to support transparency, empower citizens, combat corruption and use new technologies to strengthen governance.
This delivers on the commitment the Minister made in his speech to the Dáil on the Expenditure Estimates on 5 December 2012. In this speech the Minister highlighted the benefit of OGP participation in providing further momentum to the broad programme of reforms to public governance under the Programme for Government being undertaken by the Minister. These include:-
- establishing a comprehensive legislative framework for Oireachtas inquiries;
- introducing whistleblowing protection legislation;
- reforming Freedom of Information and extending it to all public bodies;
- establishing a system of lobbying regulation; and
- strengthening civil service accountability.
The Minister said:-
"I am happy to have now formally confirmed Ireland’s intention to participate in the Open Government Partnership. OGP participation will provide further momentum to progress already achieved in delivering on key reform commitments in the Programme for Government commitments to increase openness, transparency and accountability.
The engagement required with civil society interests, citizens and business in order to prepare Ireland’s OGP National Action Plan will provide a strong basis for developing proposals for further reform measures in line with OGP objectives."
ENDS
Notes for Editors
The Open Government Partnership (OGP) is a multilateral initiative currently comprising almost 60 countries in the developed and developing world that aims to secure concrete commitments from governments to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption, and harness new technologies to strengthen governance.
The OGP is overseen by a multi
-stakeholder International Steering Committee comprising Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway, Philippines, South Africa, Tanzania, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as civil society representatives. The Open Government Partnership (OGP) was launched in September 2011 by President Obama on the margins of the 66th United Nations General Assembly in New York.
To become a member of OGP, participating countries must:
· embrace a high-level Open Government Declaration;
· deliver a country action plan developed with public consultation; and
· commit to independent reporting on their progress.
Ireland has been deemed eligible to participate in the OGP. Membership has been recommended in the recent Transparency International Country Study Addendum on Ireland’s National Integrity Systems.
In addition to measures relating to openness, transparency and governance OGP participation will provide an opportunity to promote Open Data policies by public bodies, - already part of the Government’s e-Government Strategy and the Action Plan for Jobs - which has the potential to yield economic and employment benefits in addition to strengthening the performance accountability of public bodies.
Further information on the OGP is available on the Open Government Partnership’s website
http://www.opengovpartnership.org/. Information on Ireland and the OPG is published on the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s website athttp://www.per.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/OGP-overview-and-FAQ-05-12-12.pdf