The Information Commissioner, Emily O'Reilly, has expressed concern that a number of public sector bodies are not included under the scope of the Freedom of Information Act.
The Adoption Board, Personal Injuries Assessment Board, Vocational Education Committees and the Financial Services Regulatory Authority are just some of the bodies to which FOI applications cannot apply.
In her annual report, Ms O'Reilly said the continued exclusion of An Garda Síochána put Ireland out of kilter with the rest of the developed world where police forces have fallen under similar acts for some time.
She said there has been no negative impact on other forces as a result, and the establishment of the Garda Ombudsman's Commission provides an ideal opportunity for the force to come under the scope of the act.
Despite a fall in applications last year, the system is working but not as well as it could be, according to Ms O'Reilly.
She says the present fees in place are discouraging some people. Uptake of applications has fallen by 19% since 2005.
