Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I do not care whether it is a U-turn or a clarification, it is very welcome. I will leave the discussion on fees, upfront charges, etc., until we reach amendment No. 53 because we will be able to deal with them in some detail at that point. I will, however, use an example in order to clarify what I think the Minister as saying to us.

I occupy an office in Agriculture House, the headquarters of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Let us imagine that someone submits an FOI request to that Department in respect of the inoculation of cattle throughout the country. The officer who receives the request will recognise the need to contact local offices throughout the country - so there is a geographic break in functional area - the office charged with looking after the national herd, pharmaceutical experts, etc.

If a single request, not a multifaceted one, is submitted and the receiving officer has to send it to multiple offices and functional areas to get a response to it, is it the Minister's clear intention that such a request will be treated as a single request with a single upfront fee of €15? I think that is what he is saying to the committee.