Freedom of Information

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 March 2023

Thursday, 9 March 2023

Questions (289)

Cormac Devlin

Question:

289. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide details of engagements or meetings his officials have had with Tusla about GDPR/FOI subject access request (SAR) processing times, in tabular form; the number of requests under GDPR/FOI for personal data requests processed by Tusla, including average processing times monthly during the period 1 January 2020 to 1 March 2023, by administrative region; Dublin North East, Dublin Mid Leinster, South East, South West, Mid-West and West North West; the arrangements that are being put in place by Tusla to deal with exceptional time sensitive matters requiring urgent responses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12070/23]

Written answers

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

On occasion the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth receives correspondence in relation to the timeliness of responding to Freedom Of Information requests or Subject Access Requests. Once appropriate permissions have been provided by respondents the information is shared with Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, for follow up.

The Minister is not in a position to intervene in individual cases as Tusla is required by law to be independent in its work as set out in Section 8(11) of the Child and Family Agency Act 2013 that "the Agency shall be independent in the performance of its functions".

Tusla is also an FOI body in its own right under the provisions of the Freedom of Information legislation and consequently must directly meet its obligations under those Acts.

The Deputy is primarily referring to an operational matter for Tusla. As such, I have referred this question to Tusla for direct reply to the Deputy.