The report shows that there were 12,581 requests for personal information in 2011 - an increase of 17% on 2010.

Requests from journalists fell to 11% from 14% in 2010.

Requests to the Department of Education rose 47% over 2010 and requests to the Department of Social Protection rose by 29%.

The report also shows the largest number of FoI requests in 2011 were to the Health Service Executive at 6,141, up from 5,479 in 2010.

Speaking at the launch of her annual report, Ms O'Reilly said a blanket veto on the National Asset Management Agency coming under the FoI Act is not the appropriate thing to do.

She said there has been push back from NAMA Chairman Frank Daly against that body being covered under the Act.

She said Mr Daly may have his reasons for resisting FoI cover, but if he believes FoI will harm NAMA that should be debated and the possible harms identified.

The Information Commissioner said the Programme for Government includes a commitment to extend FoI cover to all public bodies, such as NAMA, the Central Bank, An Garda Sochna and VECs, and she understands that legislation is being prepared.

She said she had no information at this stage that NAMA's exclusion from FoI has been accepted by the Department of Public Expenditure.

Ms O'Reilly also said she does not think the Government is aware that a "major roadblock" has been put in place preventing adopted people accessing information relating to their origins following a Supreme Court ruling last year.

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Freedom of Information requests up by 8% in 2011

EDINBURGH (Reuters) - Royal Bank of Scotland's chief executive needs to be given the freedom to complete his five-year turnaround plan without excessive interference, the part-nationalized UK bank's chairman said. "There are ... still risks on the horizon and the task of rebuilding RBS has some way to go," Philip Hampton said on Wednesday at the bank's annual shareholder meeting. "It is ...

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RBS says CEO needs "freedom" to carry out turnaround

Why did Bob Dylan look so strained during the Medal of Freedom ceremony at the White House Tuesday? Perhaps because his musical insurgency was being memorialized.

President Obama awarded Bob Dylan the coveted Presidential Medal of Freedom of Tuesday. Twelve other deserving Americans got the medals, too as we wrote yesterday, US presidents can give them to anyone they want. But were focusing on Dylan today because he seems to have attracted the most attention of the awardees and because theres something about his prize we believe has been overlooked.

No, its not the sunglasses he wore to the ceremony. Lots of folks have commented on those. Nor is it his overall demeanor. Well agree he seemed uncomfortable, like a boy forced to wear a suit and stand up in front of strangers, if that boy were over 70 years old and had written more immortal songs than anyone alive in the US today.

Its this: Bob Dylan is the first rock and roll star to win the Medal of Freedom. Ever. As far as we can tell.

We admit were creating some arbitrary definitions here so that we can make this statement. First, is Mr. Dylan a rocker, per se? He started as a folkie, went electric, and now has settled into a kind of bard-like phrase, where he reinterprets old blues tunes and Confederate poems and things like that. What he really is, is a musical magpie.

There is not a bigger giant in the history of American music, said Mr. Obama, when hanging the medal around Dylans neck.

Anyway, Rolling Stone magazine called Dylan a rock and roll pioneer in their story on the award. Thats good enough for us. Even if its a publication whose name came from a Dylan song.

Second, were labeling B.B. King a blues guitarist. Bill Clinton awarded Mr. King a Medal of Freedom in 2006.

Yes, King is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But his nickname is King of the Blues, so thats what were going with. Mr. Clinton also gave Aretha Franklin the award, in 2005, but we feel safe in saying shes not rocker either.

After them, the popular musicians who have won the Presidential Medal of Freedom are mostly from eras past. They are singers such as Frank Sinatra (1985) and bandleaders such as Count Basie (1985). Presidents have also bestowed the award on many classical musicians, such as Pablo Casals (1963) and Van Cliburn (2003).

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Bob Dylan awarded Medal of Freedom. What does that say about US?

WASHINGTON (AP) Sketching impressive contributions to society in intensely personal terms, President Barack Obama presented the Medal of Freedom to more than a dozen political and cultural greats Tuesday, including rocker Bob Dylan, astronaut John Glenn and novelist Toni Morrison.

In awarding the nation's highest civilian honor to 13 recipients, living and dead, the president took note of the overflow crowd in the East Room and said it was "a testament to how cool this group is. Everybody wanted to check 'em out."

Obama then spoke of his personal connection to a number of this year's recipients, calling them "my heroes individually."

"I know how they impacted my life," the president said. He recalled reading Morrison's "Song of Solomon" in his youth and "not just trying to figure out how to write, but also how to be and how to think."

In college days, Obama said, he listened to Dylan and recalled "my world opening up, because he captured something about this country that was so vital." Dylan's appearance drew the biggest whoops from the crowd, and he dressed for the event sunglasses, bow tie and black suit embellished with shiny buckles and buttons.

Obama also recalled reading about union pathbreaker Dolores Huerta when he was starting out as a community organizer.

"Everybody on this stage has marked my life in profound ways," he said.

Obama added that Pat Summitt, who led the University of Tennessee women's basketball team to more NCAA Final Four appearances than any other team, had helped pave the way for his two daughters, "who are tall and gifted."

"They're standing up straight and diving after loose balls and feeling confident and strong," he said. "I understand that the impact that these people have had extends beyond me. It will continue for generations to come."

The Medal of Freedom is presented to people who have made meritorious contributions to the national interests of the United States, to world peace or to other significant endeavors.

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Bob Dylan getting Medal of Freedom today

The ceremony honoring President Obama's Medal of Freedom recipients, who will receive the nation's highest civilian honor, is going on right now. The picture above shows Madeleine Albright and Toni Morrison there in the front as well as several other honorees and their proxies. (Bob Dylan isn't pictured but he's there, wearing sunglasses of course.)

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Live: The White House's Medal of Freedom Ceremony Honors Bob Dylan

WASHINGTON President Obama pinned the Presidential Medal of Freedom around Bob Dylan's neck as the singer stood in the White House inscrutable in black sunglasses.

"I have to say that I am a really big fan," Obama said as he introduced Dylan, one of a number of figures from the struggles and accomplishments of the 1960s, as well as other eras, whom Obama chose to honor Tuesday. Labor leader and civil rights campaigner Dolores Huerta and astronaut John Glenn also received the medal.

"I remember, you know, in college listening to Bob Dylan and my world opening up because he captured something about this country that was so vital," Obama said.

The president said many of the recipients had had a personal effect on his life. The year 1962 looms especially large in Obama's picks: That was the year Dylan put out his first album, Huerta co-founded the National Farm Workers Assn. and Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth.

The medal is the country's highest civilian honor and the president has wide latitude in choosing recipients. It is awarded to people who have made major contributions to the security of the United States, world peace or culture, or have undertaken "other significant public or private endeavors."

Huerta founded the farmworkers group, which later became the United Farm Workers, with Cesar Chavez, who was awarded the medal in 1994, shortly after his death. Throughout the 1960s and '70s, Huerta worked to extend social programs to farmworkers in California. She also, Obama noted, coined the slogan "Si, se puede" ("Yes, we can").

"Dolores was very gracious when I told her I had stolen her slogan," he said.

It was not Dylan's first time receiving a ribbon at the White House: In 1997, President Clinton named him a Kennedy Center honoree. In 2010, Obama awarded the singer the National Medal of Arts. Dylan did not attend the ceremony then, but did perform "The Times They Are a-Changin" for the president at the White House the same year.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom hangs from a blue ribbon and is made up of a blue disk whose surface is filled with stars, layered on a white star and red pentagon surrounded by gold eagles.

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was also among the 12 people presented with the medal Tuesday. Former Justice Department civil rights lawyer John Doar, epidemiologist William Foege, novelist Toni Morrison, former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens and college basketball coach Pat Summitt also received the award.

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Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded to Bob Dylan, others

President Obama awarded the Medal of Freedom, the highest honor for a civilian, to a distinguished and diverse group including former astronaut John Glenn, rock legend Bob Dylan, and former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. Scott Pelley reports.

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Video: Obama awards Medal of Freedom to Bob Dylan, John Glenn

Juliette Gordon Low, American founder of the Girl Scouts, is another of the posthumous honorees. Along with the establishment of the American group, she is credited with creating a Girl Guides troop for girls working in factories in Scotland. The Girl Guides helped the young women set up a small business, enabling them to take money home to their families while avoiding the unhealthy working conditions of the factories. Jan Karski, the third and final posthumous recipient of the Medal of Freedom, served as an officer in the Polish Underground during World War II. Karski provided one of the first eyewitness accounts of the Holocaust to the world. Madeleine Albright served as the first female U.S. secretary of state from 1997-2001 under President Bill Clinton. While in office, she worked to expand NATO and helped lead the alliance's campaign against terror and ethnic cleansing in the Balkans, pursued peace in the Middle East and Africa, sought to reduce the dangerous spread of nuclear weapons and was a champion of democracy, human rights and good governance across the globe. Bob Dylan's poetic lyrics worked considerable influence on the civil rights movement in the 1960s and is still very influential in American culture today. Dolores Huerta is a civil rights, workers and women's advocate. With Cesar Chavez, she co-founded the National Farmworkers Association in 1962, which later became the United Farm Workers of America. Huerta has served as a community activist and a political organizer and was influential in securing the passage of California's Agricultural Labor Relations Act of 1975 and disability insurance for farm workers in California.

Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony

Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony

Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony

Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony

Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony

Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony

Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony

Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony

Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony

Continued here:

Albright, Dylan among recipients of Presidential Medal of Freedom

Sketching impressive contributions to society in intensely personal terms, President Barack Obama presented the Medal of Freedom to more than a dozen political and cultural greats Tuesday, including rocker Bob Dylan, astronaut John Glenn and novelist Toni Morrison.

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Obama honors Medal of Freedom recipients as heroes

Answer: Anybody who's accomplished anything the president of the United States likes. Obama awarded the Medal of Freedom to Bob Dylan, John Glenn, and 11 other recipients Tuesday.

What do Bob Dylan, Bob Dole, Warren Buffet, Earl Warren, Ronald Reagan, Nancy Reagan, Jackie Robinson, and Jack Nicklaus have in common?

No, theyre not characters in the longest walk into a bar joke ever told. They are all recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest award the United States government bestows.

President Obama handed out 13 of these coveted decorations in an East Room ceremony on May 29. The aforementioned Mr. Dylan was one of the recipients. As he and John Glenn, Toni Morrison, and other 2012 honorees bowed to have the spiffy white star hung around their necks, we got to thinking: Where does the Presidential Medal of Freedom come from, anyway? How does it compare to the Medal of Honor and other top US decorations? Why did Dylan wear sunglasses to Tuesdays East Room investiture?

That last question is unanswerable by us. As to the rest were now in position to provide a little US Medals 101 education, courtesy of the always helpful work of Congressional Research Service scholars.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom was established by Harry S. Truman to reward World War II-connected activities. In 1945, the first awards were bestowed on four women who had shown conspicuous service and/or bravery, including Anna M. Rosenberg, a member of the War Manpower Commission, and Marie Louise Dissard, a leader of the French Resistance.

Throughout the late 1940s and early 50s the medal went to figures related to security or diplomacy. In 1963, however, President John F. Kennedy made a major change, establishing the award as we understand it today. Via an executive order, JFK expanded those eligible to include any person who has made an especially meritorious contribution to (1) the security or national interests of the United States, or (2) world peace, or (3) cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.

In other words, pretty much anybody whos accomplished anything the president of the US likes.

Thats the second interesting part of the Medal of Freedom equation: it is something the president alone decides.

As such, recipients tend to reflect the personal and political interests of the President. The accomplishments of past recipients have been in wide-ranging fields, including public service, journalism, business, sports, and entertainment, wrote Barbara Salazar Torreon of the Congressional Research Service (CRS) in a 2004 report on the subject.

The rest is here:

Obama honors Presidential Medal of Freedom winners: Who's eligible? (+video)

Answer: Anybody who's accomplished anything the president of the United States likes. Obama awarded the Medal of Freedom to Bob Dylan, John Glenn, and 11 other recipients Tuesday.

What do Bob Dylan, Bob Dole, Warren Buffet, Earl Warren, Ronald Reagan, Nancy Reagan, Jackie Robinson, and Jack Nicklaus have in common?

No, theyre not characters in the longest walk into a bar joke ever told. They are all recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest award the United States government bestows.

President Obama handed out 13 of these coveted decorations in an East Room ceremony on May 29. The aforementioned Mr. Dylan was one of the recipients. As he and John Glenn, Toni Morrison, and other 2012 honorees bowed to have the spiffy white star hung around their necks, we got to thinking: Where does the Presidential Medal of Freedom come from, anyway? How does it compare to the Medal of Honor and other top US decorations? Why did Dylan wear sunglasses to Tuesdays East Room investiture?

That last question is unanswerable by us. As to the rest were now in position to provide a little US Medals 101 education, courtesy of the always helpful work of Congressional Research Service scholars.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom was established by Harry S. Truman to reward World War II-connected activities. In 1945, the first awards were bestowed on four women who had shown conspicuous service and/or bravery, including Anna M. Rosenberg, a member of the War Manpower Commission, and Marie Louise Dissard, a leader of the French Resistance.

Throughout the late 1940s and early 50s the medal went to figures related to security or diplomacy. In 1963, however, President John F. Kennedy made a major change, establishing the award as we understand it today. Via an executive order, JFK expanded those eligible to include any person who has made an especially meritorious contribution to (1) the security or national interests of the United States, or (2) world peace, or (3) cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.

In other words, pretty much anybody whos accomplished anything the president of the US likes.

Thats the second interesting part of the Medal of Freedom equation: it is something the president alone decides.

As such, recipients tend to reflect the personal and political interests of the President. The accomplishments of past recipients have been in wide-ranging fields, including public service, journalism, business, sports, and entertainment, wrote Barbara Salazar Torreon of the Congressional Research Service (CRS) in a 2004 report on the subject.

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Obama honors Presidential Medal of Freedom winners: Who's eligible?

John Glenn, the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the Earth, was honored by President Barack Obama with the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a ceremony held at the White House on Tuesday (May 29).

Excerpt from:

President Obama Awards John Glenn with Medal of Freedom

President Obama awarded the Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, to thirteen cultural and political icons today, saying that the recipients have “marked my life in profound ways.” This year’s medal winners  included music legend Bob Dylan, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Pulitzer...

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Obama Awards Medals Of Freedom

Abu Qatada's bid for freedom has been blocked by a judge due to Britain's terror threat at the Olympics.

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Qatada freedom blocked by judge

New York gave a Big Apple salute to its heroic war dead yesterday, marking Memorial Day with a mix of solemn ceremonies, parades and picnics.

Under bright skies and a scorching sun, residents and tourists found an assortment of ways to say thank you to the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for the nation.

Its important to reflect on the people that gave their lives, said Ray Stone, a World War II veteran from Salem, NY, for whom the day marked a reunion of sorts.

Stone, 87, was a guest aboard the West Side-docked USS Intrepid, the ship on which he served and survived a torpedo hit and five kamikaze attacks.

AFP/Getty Images

SOLEMN DUTY: President Obama marks Memorial Day by placing a wreath of flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier yesterday at Arlington National Cemetery.

Freedom doesnt come cheap. Its fought for and earned, he said.

The average citizen enjoys freedom, Stone said. Why? Because of our military who fought for this.

Mayor Bloomberg marked the day by marching in two parades, where he reminded people that the holiday was about more than beaches and backyard barbecues.

Its a day for the kids to like the bands and eat cotton candy, Bloomberg said before marching in the Whitestone Veterans Memorial Association Service and Parade in Queens.

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Heroes who paid for our freedom

The military color guard marches down Main Street in Wilmington during the Memorial Day Parade, Monday. (Josh Stilts/Reformer)

WILMINGTON -- It was standing room only in Memorial Hall Monday morning as hundreds filed in to pay tribute to the men and women who have and are serving in the armed forces. They were reminded of one thing, "Freedom isn't free."

"Today we remember the names we know and those we don't, who served this country with honor and laid down their lives in sacrifice so that we may have our freedom," said Town Moderator Frank Spencer during a Memorial Day service in Wilmington.

He asked if anyone in the room knew of someone currently serving in the military and one-by-one the people in the audience spoke the names of their loved ones, each one receiving a huge applause from the crowd.

Throughout Windham County, dozens of Main Streets were filled with people paying tribute to all the members of the military, like in Brattleboro where the crowd gathered on the town common and listened as Richard Hodgdon, commandant of the Marine Corps League, shared his thoughts about those who served and those still serving, and in Hinsdale, N.H., where flowers were tossed into the river and the VFW Post 4234 fired off a gun salute to all the fallen soldiers.

Sylvester and Colleen Murphy, of Brattleboro, visited the graves of loved ones, many of whom served in the military like Sylvester.

"We've lost friends and family," Sylvester, who served in the Navy from 1957 to 1977, said. "We thought this was the best way to spend Memorial Day."

In

Wendy Pratt, one of the event organizers for the Memorial Day celebration, said the brave soldiers had yet to be recognized for their service and that it needed to change.

"Vietnam veterans were my era and a lot of us are not aware of how difficult it was for these soldiers coming home," she said. "There were protests and turbulence and they weren't welcome all of the time."

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'Freedom isn't free'

WASHINGTON (AP) President Barack Obama will honor a diverse cross-section of political and cultural icons including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, astronaut John Glenn, basketball coach Pat Summitt and rock legend Bob Dylan with the Medal of Freedom at a White House ceremony Tuesday.

The Medal of Freedom is the nation's highest civilian honor. It's presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the national interests of the United States, to world peace or to other significant endeavors.

Other recipients this year include:

Toni Morrison, author of such novels as "Song of Solomon" and "Beloved."

John Paul Stevens, former Supreme Court Justice.

Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts.

Shimon Peres, former president of Israel.

John Doar, who handled civil rights cases as assistant attorney general in the 1960s.

William Foege, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who helped lead the effort to eradicate smallpox.

Gordon Hirabayashi, who fought the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II.

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Obama to honor Medal of Freedom recipients

By KENNETH KNIGHT | The Tampa Tribune Published: May 29, 2012 Updated: May 29, 2012 - 8:44 AM

They are smart and share an appreciation for the Florida Gators, but that is where the similarities end for Freedom High School seniors Crystal Fleming and Chris Tolson.

Fleming, the class valedictorian, is reserved, spiritual and musically talented. The tenacious 17-year-old recently recovered from a serious car accident to begin planning for college and to wed her high school sweetheart.

Tolson, the salutatorian, is a fun-loving prankster who is eager to launch his college experience with some of his "main bros" in tow.

Although they have vastly different personalities and hobnobbed in separate social circles at Freedom, Fleming and Tolson have traveled similar paths to academic success.

Their journeys were etched by self-determination, concentration and a zest for knowledge. They both plan to attend the University of Florida on scholarships this fall.

"I think God blessed me with the ability to excel," Fleming said.

The West Meadows resident will graduate Tuesday with a 6.99 grade point average.

Tolson, 17, of Tampa Palms, who finished with a 6.84 GPA, offered a jovial rationale.

"I have keen eyesight," he quipped. "I'm very popular, so I got all the text messages with what questions were on the tests."

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Freedom High scholars take different paths

A coalition of activists are building a network to help fight legislation and other measures that threaten Internet freedom.

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Internet Defense League Fights For Freedom Across the Web [VIDEO]

Sometimes, the original sentiment of a holiday can get lost.

In today's case, the true meaning of Memorial Day might get burried in, say, the the excitement of the year's first beach trip, a delectable BBQ or an enticing super sale. There's no shame in enjoying the three-day weekend. But, to make sure to enjoy it for all it's worth, we think it's important to focus on the deeper meanings: freedom and remembrance. Do take a moment this holiday weekend to honor our country.

We've put together a few quotes to help evoke gratefulness for the freedom we are so blessed to have.

What do you do to celebrate our freedom and remember those who fought to honor it?

"Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth." -George Washington

"Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose." -The Wonder Years

"What we have once enjoyed deeply we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us." -Helen Keller

"To live in the hearts we leave behind is not to die." -Thomas Campbell

"Perhaps they are not stars in the sky, but rather openings where our loved ones shine down to let us know they are happy." -Eskimo Legend

"Life is eternal; and love is immortal; and death is only a horizon; and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight." -Rossiter W. Raymond

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Let Freedom Ring: Inspirational Memorial Day Quotes