Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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318. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of occasions since the start of 2014 in which the Secretary General of his Department has been involved in the clearing or approval of material for release under freedom of information legislation. [11802/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Initial decision making under the Freedom of Information legislation is delegated in my Department to a grade not below Higher Executive Officer or equivalent, and is normally carried out at either that level or at Assistant Principal Officer level. Decision making at internal review stage is delegated to a grade not below Assistant Principal or equivalent, and is normally carried out at either that level or at Principal Officer level.

While it is practice to apprise the secretary general and other members of the senior management team in my Department, on a weekly basis, of the status of requests received under the Freedom of Information legislation, no occasion has arisen since the start of 2014 where it was necessary to involve the Secretary General in either the decision making or review process.