Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I had better say something in response but will be brief. I understand Deputy McDonald's position.

She has restated it, but I do not want her to misrepresent the position of a Bill or of the Government. Virtually every regime I have looked at has some sort of fee structure. Some have basic fees for administration and photocopying while some have more elaborate search and retrieval fees. There have been fees attached to the FOI regime since the then Minister, Eithne FitzGerald, brought it in. We have decided to retain the up-front fee but, in acknowledgement of that, to give the first two hours of search and retrieval - which was to be charged at €21 per hour - free. For the vast bulk of simple requests, one will get two hours' work for the up-front fee of €15. We are reducing all the other appeal fees significantly, so I do not think it is fair to characterise it as anything but a reduction in fees.

I have made my point on the requirement to have some level of contribution to the actual cost, which is a real cost to an administrative system that, as we have acknowledged, has involved a greatly increased workload in recent times because of the financial situation we are in. I think it would be reasonable to maintain some contribution to that. Perhaps in the future we will be able to revisit these issues when our economic fortunes improve. To have it characterised in any other way is unfair.