Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 8 February 2023
Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach
Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure and Reform (Revised)
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Revised)
Vote 14 - State Laboratory (Revised)
Vote 15 - Secret Service (Revised)
Vote 17 - Public Appointments Service (Revised)
Vote 18 - National Shared Services Office (Revised)
Vote 19 - Office of the Ombudsman (Revised)
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement (Revised)
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (Revised)
Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister. My question specifically related to a person putting in a freedom of information request, not getting the information they asked for and appealing it, which costs money. If it is found that the body should have given the information, would the Minister consider refunding the cost of the appeal to the applicant - this is something I had in my Bill - and requiring the body to disclose amounts paid out in refunds in its annual report? If, on appeal, the decisions of certain bodies are constantly being shown to be incorrect, surely that should act as a deterrent. We want information to be as open as possible.