Michael Ring
Question:205 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Finance the number of requests received in all Government Departments under the Freedom of Information Act, 1997; the number granted; and the number refused. [6624/99]
Written Answers. - Freedom of Information Act.
I wish to advise the Deputy that the total number of requests received in all Government Departments under the Freedom of Information Act as at end January 1999 was 3,542. Details on the exact number received by each Department, which includes requests received by public bodies under the aegis of Government Departments, are set out on the attached summary table. This table also includes a breakdown of the outcome of each request received by end January last.
The attached table records the number of requests refused in the first instance. The position under the Freedom of Information Act is that requesters have up to six months in which to lodge an appeal when they are not satisfied with decisions taken on their requests, initially at a higher level within the public body to whom the request was directed and subsequently to the Office of the Information Commissioner.
While the summary table provides particulars with regard to Government Departments, the Deputy will be aware that the Freedom of Information Act also applies to health boards and local authorities. In this regard, my Department will ensure that details of freedom of information requests to these bodies will be provided directly to him in due course.
|
Department |
ApplicationsReceived |
RequestsGranted |
RequestsPart-granted |
RequestsRefused |
RequestsTransferred |
Withdrawnor handledoutside FOI |
LiveCases |
|
Agriculture and Food |
174 |
59 |
52 |
24 |
1 |
6 |
32 |
|
Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands |
74 |
39 |
6 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
24 |
|
Central Statistics Office |
13 |
3 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
|
Civil Service Commission |
125 |
57 |
43 |
7 |
0 |
4 |
14 |
|
Local Appointments Commission |
39 |
13 |
21 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
|
Department of Defence |
214 |
86 |
76 |
27 |
5 |
4 |
16 |
|
Education |
226 |
76 |
31 |
36 |
0 |
7 |
76 |
|
Enterprise, Trade and Employment |
328 |
55 |
83 |
140 |
6 |
33 |
11 |
|
Environment and Local Government |
176 |
50 |
20 |
53 |
2 |
26 |
25 |
|
Finance |
313 |
167 |
57 |
46 |
1 |
11 |
31 |
|
Foreign Affairs |
75 |
30 |
16 |
12 |
3 |
9 |
5 |
|
Health and Children |
247 |
55 |
56 |
67 |
4 |
14 |
51 |
|
Justice |
373 |
139 |
76 |
76 |
20 |
12 |
50 |
|
Land Registry |
20 |
0 |
6 |
5 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
|
Marine and Natural Resources |
52 |
24 |
6 |
11 |
1 |
3 |
7 |
|
Office of the Attorney General |
26 |
6 |
0 |
19 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Office of the Commissioner |
3 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Office of the C. and A.G. |
6 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
Office of Director Public Prosecutions |
21 |
2 |
1 |
17 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Office of Houses of Oireachtas |
9 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
|
Office of the Ombudsman |
12 |
2 |
1 |
8 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Office of the Ordnance Survey |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Office of Public Works |
16 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
5 |
|
Public Enterprise |
110 |
36 |
24 |
26 |
1 |
2 |
21 |
|
Revenue Commissioners |
377 |
163 |
78 |
53 |
3 |
14 |
66 |
|
Social, Community and Family Affairs |
353 |
248 |
57 |
24 |
0 |
1 |
23 |
|
The Pensions Board |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
State Laboratory |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Department of the Taoiseach |
100 |
23 |
21 |
36 |
6 |
5 |
9 |
|
Tourism, Sport and Recreation |
54 |
16 |
13 |
7 |
0 |
8 |
10 |
|
Total |
3,542 |
1,357 |
751 |
712 |
59 |
173 |
490 |
The figures quoted for each Department include Freedom of Information Act statistics for all bodies under the aegis of that Department listed in the First Schedule to the Act.