Written answers

Tuesday, 21 March 2017

Department of Health

Freedom of Information Requests

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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766. To ask the Minister for Health the reason his Department has not provided correspondence between him and a person (details supplied) and any other person regarding plans for, discussion of, submissions and the eventual publication of the independent clinical review of provision of a second catheterisation laboratory at University Hospital Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12986/17]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I understand that work to complete this FOI request is progressing as quickly as is possible and I expect that it will be concluded shortly.

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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767. To ask the Minister for Health if it is it normal practice for a freedom of information request to be three months overdue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12987/17]

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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768. To ask the Minister for Health the average turnaround time for a freedom of information request sent to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12988/17]

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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769. To ask the Minister for Health the statutory obligations that pertain to FOI requests and their delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12989/17]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 767 to 769, inclusive, together.

The statutory obligation, of the Department of Health and all FOI bodies, is to issue a decision, in most circumstances, not later than 4 weeks after the receipt of the request.

If a decision does not issue within the statutory time frame, the records are deemed to be refused and the requester has the right to submit an application for an internal review of the case. An internal review decision should issue within 3 weeks of receipt of the internal review application. If a decision does not issue within the three weeks, the applicant may appeal to the Office of the Information Commissioner.

Information in relation to the average turnaround time for processing FOI requests received in my Department is not available.

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