The Freedom of Information (FOI) data requested is set out in the following table.
In relation to your request for data concerning appeals, I have included data on both internal reviews carried out within my Department and on appeals to the Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC). If a requester is not satisfied with the response of my Department to any aspect of his/her request for information he/she can seek to have the decision re-examined. The internal review of an FOI decision is carried out by a more senior member of staff within my Department. Following the outcome of the internal review, if a requester is unhappy with that decision, he/she has the right to appeal the decision to the OIC.
Number of FOI.....
|
1 January 2018 to 11 June 2018
|
Requests received
|
188
|
Granted
|
33
|
Part granted
|
45
|
Refused
|
22
|
Responded to outside of FOI
|
27
|
Withdrawn
|
16
|
Transferred
|
4
|
Ongoing
|
41
|
Decisions reviewed internally
|
17
|
Decisions appealed to OIC
|
8
|
The figure in the “ongoing” column arises as, under the FOI Act, my Department has in most cases four weeks to make a decision and issue a response. There are also a number of provisions in the FOI Act which allow for the completion of requests outside of the standard four week time frame including where the request is for a large number of records and the requirement for third party consultation.
The total fees applied under FOI legislation by my Department in respect of FOI requests received between 1 January 2018 and 11 June 2018 amounts to €350.