The Freedom of Information Act (1998) has been replaced by the Freedom of Information (Amendment) Act 2003. The government introduced a 'High Level Group' of civil servants to review the FOI Act in secret in advance of its passing. This was done without consultation with the Information Commissioner. The group took a very narrow 'adminstrative' view of how the Act had been operating since 1998 and its recommendations, in addition to government's own amendments, made no improvements to the quality of the Bill. Opposition groups sought more time for a review of the Act, and the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance and Public Services heard from the Information Commissioner, journalists, the community and voluntary sector and the ICCL about the detrimental effects of the Bill's amendments on citizens' rights.

The ICCL continues to have serious reservations about the Act and its overall failure to improve transparency, accountability and citizen participation.