The Government's plans to clear legislation restricting the application of the Freedom of Information Act have come in for criticism from the Irish Council of Civil Liberties (ICCL).
The ICCL demands a period of public consultation before any legal changes to the act are introduced.
Also, The International Federation of Journalists has backed the NUJ campaign against the amendment of the Freedom of Information Act, describing it as an international model of best practice.
The intervention of Mr Aidan White, General Secretary of the IFJ comes as the Cabinet considers legislation, which the NUJ says, will gravely undermine the Act.
The cabinet will today discuss proposals to amend the Freedom ofInformation Act following a secret review of the legislation by seniorcivil servants. The Government is expected to bring forward legislationpreventing the release of cabinet papers after a five-year period, aprovision that is due to come into force from April 2003.
The ICCL says it condemns Government misrepresentation of Section 19 of the Freedom of Information Act, under which the 30-year secrecy rule for cabinet papers is due to be altered on April 21st. Section 19 permits cabinet papers to be released after five years.
The right's group say the secrecy and speed with which the Government is proceeding with steps to dilute and undermine a very important piece of legislation, is alarming and a depressing signal about the value the government places on transparency and accountability.
Director of the ICCL, Ms Aisling Reidy, said: "The Freedom of Information Act is legislation central to any democracy - hence why the Irish Act has been used abroad as a model for those societies making that transition towards greater democratic governance".
"It will not do much for public confidence in politics if the government, behind closed doors, renders impotent the most important tool the ordinary citizen has in holding the state accountable, added Ms Reidy."
The ICCL have also challenged what they describe as "the anonymous whispering campaign" designed to suggest that the Freedom of Information Act has clogged up the civil service with 'unnecessary' requests for information.
While there may be some abuse of the Act, the ICCL notes that the authorities have the right to refuse "frivolous or vexatious" requests and other protections against abuse which are consistent with the Act.