Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 and 3 together.

My Department received 153 FOI requests in 2012. Of the 153 requests received, 97 were granted or part-granted, 14 were refused, in 15 cases no records existed, 18 requests were withdrawn and there are nine requests ongoing. The Department applied €3,918.96 in charges to FOI requests made in 2012. Of this, €1,750.57 related to search, retrieval and photocopying charges.

As I have stated before, the statutory framework relating to FOI requests keeps the decision-making process and the operation of this at arm's length from the political head of the Department. Therefore, I never see these requests when they come in.

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