Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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707. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will justify demands for €150 for Freedom Of Information requests regarding exemptions granted under the Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions Of War Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Order 1973. [36493/15]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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​The Freedom of Information Act 2014, and S.I. No. 531 of 2014, Freedom of Information Act 2014 (Fees) No. 2 Regulations 2014 provide for fees to be charged for FOI requests. Section 27(1) of the Act states 'Such amount as may be appropriate having regard to the provisions of this section shall be charged by the FOI body concerned under this subsection and paid by the requester concerned to the body in respect of the grant of an FOI request. The amount of a charge under this subsection shall be equal to the estimated cost of the search for and retrieval and copying of the record concerned by the FOI body concerned for the requester'.

For the FOI request to which the Deputy refers, my Department has estimated the costs to be €150. The Act provides that if the final amount of fees actually due is less than the estimate, then it is the actual amount which is charged. The Act furthermore provides that if the actual amount is less than the deposit paid, the balance must be refunded.