Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

I note that prior to the date when the fees were introduced, the rate of requests to the Taoiseach's Department was running at 17 per month and, since that date, the rate has dropped to four per month. Less than a quarter of the earlier number of requests is being made. Were those other 13 requests per month frivolous? Did the Taoiseach's Secretary General advise that there were many frivolous requests for information that were extremely costly? When the Taoiseach went to consider this issue at Cabinet, as he undoubtedly did, was he armed with a great deal of information about the frivolity with which people were treating this in his Department? I note he stated in his reply that his Department does not charge the €75 internal review fee.

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