Written answers

Thursday, 19 October 2006

Department of Defence

Freedom of Information

5:00 pm

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 333: To ask the Minister for Defence the number of requests under the Freedom of Information Acts received by his Department in each year from 2002 to 2005 and to date in 2006; the amount of money received in application fees for each year; the amount of money received in information retrieval fees for each year; the percentage of requests coming from journalists in each year; the percentage of retrieval fees that were charged to journalists rather than members of the public; the percentage of requests from journalists for which a retrieval fee was charged; the percentage of requests from members of the public for which a retrieval fee was charged; the average retrieval fee charged; the median retrieval fee charged; the number of cases in which the retrieval fee was waived; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33709/06]

Photo of Willie O'DeaWillie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Defence, the Army Pensions Board, and the Defence Forces were designated as separate and distinct bodies under the Freedom of Information Acts 1997 & 2003.

In October 2005 the Government decided to extend the application of FOI legislation to include Coiste an Asgard and the Civil Defence Board. The necessary regulations to provide for the extension of FOI to these bodies were signed in May 2006. To date, neither of these bodies has received a Freedom of Information request.

The information sought by the Deputy is as follows:

Department of Defence
No. of RequestsRequests from journalistsApplication Fees ReceivedSearch & Retrieval Fees
%
20021312700
200310626180291.481
2004491432083.182
200541272050
2006 (to date)44393250
1. It was not possible to provide a breakdown of these fees in the time available.
2. Fees were in respect of two requests – both from journalists.
Defence Forces
No. of RequestsRequests from journalistsApplication Fees ReceivedSearch & Retrieval Fees
%
2002241300
20032954300
20042022300
20052393750
2006 (to date)149490263.801
1. Fees are in respect of three requests, all from journalists.

The Army Pensions Board received no Freedom of Information requests during the years 2002-2006 (to date) inclusive.

My Department's policy with regard to the charging of fees is not related to the category of the requester, but rather to the amount of search, retrieval and photocopying work involved in replying to each request. In a substantial majority of cases processed, no search and retrieval fee was charged.

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