Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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They were probably written for me. A fee structure exists but in the event of delays perhaps penalties could be levied on the organisations. Perhaps that is what we should examine? We heard about delays of three years in one case and another where the timeframe was routinely breached. The introduction of penalties for delays might be an incentive for the FOI officers. For example, a delay of a month could result in a refund of the original fee. A rolling scale could be introduced which might incentivise the speedier provision of information. The problem is that it will be considered to be a cost on the Exchequer when the Bill comes before the House and Opposition Deputies cannot table amendments to that effect. However, it could be worth examining because there is no point in having a timeframe for the provision of information if there is no disincentive for non-compliance.