Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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271. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of freedom of information requests made to his Department in each of the years 2016 to 2018 and to date in 2019; the number of requests fully denied by reason; the number of requests partially denied; the number of appeals made against denials; the number of such appeals upheld; the number of such appeals rejected; the number of requests that required a fee; the amount received for freedom of information requests in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50600/19]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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My Department received 1,493 Freedom of information requests in the years 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 (to 30 November). The breakdown of these requests is contained on the attached spreadsheet.

With regards to the breakdown of requests refused, the information sought is not readily available and its compilation would involve a disproportionate amount of time and work.  The most common reasons for applying exemptions where FOI requests have been refused during the time period included:

- Records do not exist or cannot be found

- Records are commercially sensitive

- Records are subject to deliberative process

- Records are legally privileged

- Records are in the public domain.