Freedom of Information Data

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 December 2019

Wednesday, 4 December 2019

Questions (226)

Barry Cowen

Question:

226. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of freedom of information requests made to his Department in each of the years 2016 to 2018 and to date in 2019; the number of requests fully denied by reason; the number of requests partially denied; the number of appeals made against denials; the number of such appeals upheld; the number of such appeals rejected; the number of requests that required a fee; the amount received for freedom of information requests in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50603/19]

Written answers

Minister for Rural and Community Development

My Department was established on 19 July 2017 and has received the following FOI requests since that date:

Year	2017	2018	2019 (at 02/12/2019)
Total received	14	58	76
Granted	4	14	24
Part-Granted	3	12	6
Refused	2	14	8
Withdrawn	3	6	9
Handled outside FOI	2	12	18
Transferred	0	0	1
Open requests			12
Internal Reviews	0	2	1
Decision Upheld		1	0
Decision Varied		1	1

A total of €240 was collected in fees, in respect of one request, during the period in question. Where requesters may be subject to fees, the Department is active in assisting requesters refine their requests where possible to ensure that information can be provided without a fee requirement.

Requests are refused where records are withheld under the various exemptions as set out under the Freedom of Information Act. In respect of the 24 requests where no records were released, 16 were refused under Section 15 (1)(a) of the Act, where records did not exist or could not be found. Other reasons for refusal included Section 29 (Deliberations of FOI Bodies), Section 30 (Functions and Negotiations of FOI Bodies) and Section 36 (Commercially Sensitive Information).