Freedom of Information Requests

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 November 2018

Tuesday, 13 November 2018

Questions (473)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

473. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of staff in his Department qualified to process freedom of information, FoI, requests; if his attention has been drawn to the large number of FoI requests regarding the national broadband plan, NBP, and the delays that FoI requesters are now encountering due to the demand on his departmental and advisory staff in handling the FoI requests; if he will redeploy other staff to assist with FoI requests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46649/18]

Written answers

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

Under the FOI act, the determination of an FOI request is a matter for the deciding officer.

The number of FOI requests received by my Department is increasing, with an 82% increase on the same period last year. The processing of FOI requests is undertaken by officials at Higher Executive Officer level and higher, and this responsibility in undertaken in conjunction with their normal day-to-day duties.

In the year to end October, my Department had received 41 FOI requests in connection with the NBP and related matters. This number includes 19 NBP related FOI requests received during the month of October.

Of the total number of 41 NBP related FOI requests, 27 have been replied to within the statutory deadline, 1 is recorded as “deemed refused” in accordance with Section 19 (1) of the Act, the decision having issued 1 day after the statutory deadline, while 13 of the recently received NBP requests are currently being processed.

Section 14 (1) of the FOI Act provides for the extension of the decision-making timeline providing that certain criteria are met. Extensions have been sought in respect of 5 of the 13 NBP related requests currently on hand, in line with this statutory provision.