Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 581: To ask the Minister for Health 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 to 2011, inclusive. [12728/12]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 582: To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide a breakdown of the number of freedom of information requests submitted in the years 2002 to 2011, inclusive, to his Department; the total amount of fees charged and fees received in each year; the number and amount of initial search fees paid and the number and amount of search and retrieval fees paid. [12744/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 581 and 582 together.

A table is attached detailing the number of Freedom of Information requests received for each year between 2002 and 2011, the amount of "up-front" fees received and the amount of search and retrieval fees received. Over the time period involved the Department would not have details of search and retrieval fees charged but not paid.

The Deputy might note that the high volume of FOI requests received between 2002 and 2005 reflected requests received by the Department in relation to children who were in institutional care. A significant number of these requests were dealt with outside the Freedom of Information Act through the Access to Institutional and Related Records project that was undertaken between 2004 and 2006.

Another point that is worth noting is that while numbers appear to have reduced over recent years a practice has evolved whereby multiple requests for records are now included in one submission thus only paying one up-front fee and being treated under FOI legislation as a single request.