Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 301: To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide a breakdown of the total fees received in his Department for freedom of information requests and the number of individual requests in each of the years 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. [12720/12]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 302: To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide a breakdown of the number of freedom of information requests submitted in the years 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 to his Department; the total amount of fees charged and fees received in each year; and the number and amount of initial search fees paid and the number and amount of search and retrieval fees paid. [12736/12]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 301 and 302 together.

My Department was established on 2 June 2011 and I am advised that 27 requests for information were submitted under the Freedom of Information Acts to my Department between that date and end-2011. As the Deputy will be aware, requests for non-personal records are required to be accompanied by an application fee of €15 (a reduced fee applies to those covered by a medical card). I am advised that, during the period in question, application fees were charged in 24 cases, totalling €360.

Section 47 of the Freedom of Information Acts 1997 and 2003 provides for fees to be charged, as appropriate, for the process of searching for, retrieving and making copies of the records that are to be released. I am advised that, of the 27 aforementioned requests submitted to my Department, such fees were considered applicable in 2 cases and that fees were charged of €157.87 and €22.99, respectively.