Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 12 Dec 2000

Vol. 528 No. 1

Written Answers. - Freedom of Information Act.

Minister for Finance (Mr. McCreevy)

Over the first two years of the operation of the Freedom of Information Act, that is, 21 April 1998-end March 2000, the statistical information available to me indicates that, in the Civil Service, of 12,650 or so requests received during this period, 2,130, or 17% were either transferred to another public body, were withdrawn or handled outside the Freedom of Information Act, or were still being processed. Of the remaining 10,532 requests, 8,273, or 78%, were granted either in full or in part. This leaves some 2,250 requests that were refused at the initial decision stage, pending the possibility of an internal review or an appeal to the information commissioner.

In the local authority sector, of 2,628 requests received, 442, or 17%, were either transferred to another public body, were withdrawn or handled outside the Freedom of Information Act, or were still being processed. Of the remaining 2,186 requests, 1,793, or 82%, were granted either in full or in part leaving 393 requests that were refused at the initial decision stage, pending the possibility of an internal review or an appeal to the information commissioner.

In the health boards, the relevant figures are: 2,966 requests received of which 709, or 23%, were either transferred to another public body, were withdrawn or handled outside the Freedom of Information Act, or were still being processed. Of the remainder of 2,257, 1,912, or 85%, were granted either in full or in part leaving 345 requests that were refused at the initial decision stage, pending the possibility of an internal review or an appeal to the information commissioner. More up-to-date statistics, that is, to include requests from March 2000, are currently being compiled, which will be forwarded to the Deputy when completed.

With the aim of ensuring best practice and having regard to my functions and responsibilities under the Act, the operation of the Act has been kept under constant review, both centrally within my Department and also through the various fora established before the Act commenced in 1998. Of central importance in this regard is the FOI interdepartmental working group which is in turn supported by various user networks comprising FOI Officers from the public bodies that are subject to the Act. The information commissioner also has an important statutory role in reviewing the Act and may at any time carry out an investigation into the practices and procedures adopted by public bodies generally, or any particular public body, for the purposes of compliance with the Act generally or with any particular provisions of the Act. I understand his office will shortly undertake a general review of the operation of the Act.

I have no plans to ask each public body to review the terms of the operation of the FOI Act. Having regard to the statutory and administrative framework described, the role of the information commissioner and the extraordinary investment in training staff for the implementation of the Act over the past two to three years, I am satisfied that adequate mechanisms exist for monitoring the operation of the Act on an ongoing basis.

Minister for Finance (Mr. McCreevy)

The following is the information the Deputy requested as of 30 November 2000:

FOI requests since 21 April 1998

Requests Granted	340
Requests Part Granted	240
Requests Refused	143
Requests Withdrawn-Handled outside FOI	79
Requests Transferred to other Departments-
public bodies	35
Requests being processed	18
Total No. of Requests	855

The freedom of information unit in my Department constantly monitors FOI requests received and participates in the FOI interdepartmental working group and Civil Service users network where the operation of FOI is kept under constant review. I am satisfied that these arrangement provide for an adequate ongoing process of review of FOI and that all requests under the Act are dealt with expeditiously by my Department.