Written answers
Tuesday, 25 June 2024
Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government
Freedom of Information
Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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249. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of contracted staff, full-time and part-time, employed by his Department, and by any body or entity under the aegis of the Department, who are specifically assigned to processing freedom of information requests (details supplied), in each of the past three years; the Civil Service grade of each; the number of freedom of information requests dealt with by his Department, or any body or entity under its aegis, in each of the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27236/24]
Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Secretary General, with support from the Assistant Secretary of the Corporate and Business Support Division, oversees my Department's obligations under the Freedom of Information Act 2014.
Details of the number of staff employed by my Department who are assigned to the day to day processing Freedom of Information requests, and the number of such requests received by my Department in each of the past three years, are set out in the attached Table 1. The Principal Officer and Assistant Principal Officer referenced are responsible for several functional areas separate to their involvement in Freedom of Information processes. The table provided excludes decision makers who are assigned on a case by case basis.
I have also provided the number of Freedom of Information requests processed by my Department's aegis bodies in Table 2.
My Department does not maintain the requested information in respect of staff employed by its aegis bodies assigned to processing Freedom of Information requests. That information can be requested from the bodies directly. These bodies may be contacted by e-mail by members of the Oireachtas, as set out in Table 3.
Table 1 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
| Year | Staff – Full Time | Grade | Staff – Part Time | Grade | FOI Requests Received |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4 | 1 Principal Officer 1 Assistant Principal Officer 1 Executive Officer 1 Clerical Officer | 0 | N/A | 516 |
| 2022 | 4 | 1 Principal Officer 1 Assistant Principal Officer 1 Executive Officer 1 Clerical Officer | 1 | 1 Higher Executive Officer | 542 |
| 2023 | 5 | 1 Principal Officer 1 Assistant Principal Officer 1 Executive Officer January-May 2023 1 Clerical Officer 1 Temporary Clerical Officer May-December 2023 | 1 | 1 Higher Executive Officer | 569 |
Table 2 – Requests received by aegis bodies
| Year | Body | FOI Requests Received |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | An Bord Pleanála | 64 |
| Gas Networks Ireland | 17 | |
| Heritage Council | 5 | |
| Housing Finance Agency | 2 | |
| Housing Sustainable Communities Agency | 25 | |
| Irish Water | 179 | |
| Land Development Agency | 23 | |
| Local Government Management Agency | 11 | |
| Office of the Planning Regulator | 11 | |
| Ordnance Survey Ireland | 15 | |
| Property Registration Authority | 74 | |
| Residential Tenancies Board | 78 | |
| Valuation Office, (Oifig Luachála) | 6 | |
| Waterways Ireland | 28 | |
| Year | Body | FOI Requests Received |
| 2022 | An Bord Pleanála | 128 |
| Gas Networks | 15 | |
| Heritage Council | 5 | |
| Housing Finance Agency (HFA) | 5 | |
| Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency | 40 | |
| Irish Water | 200 | |
| Land Development Agency | 16 | |
| Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) | 14 | |
| Office of the Planning Regulator | 18 | |
| Ordnance Survey Ireland | 9 | |
| Property Registration Authority | 38 | |
| Residential Tenancies Board | 140 | |
| Valuation Office, (Oifig Luachála) | 14 | |
| Waterways Ireland | 13 | |
| Year | Body | FOI Requests Received |
| 2023 | An Bord Pleanála | 99 |
| An Fóram Uisce (the Water Forum) | 0 | |
| Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority | 10 | |
| Gas Networks Ireland | 27 | |
| Heritage Council | 6 | |
| Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency | 40 | |
| Housing Finance Agency (HFA) | 4 | |
| Land Development Agency | 43 | |
| Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) | 24 | |
| Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA) | 0 | |
| Office of the Planning Regulator | 16 | |
| Pyrite Resolution Board | 0 | |
| Residential Tenancies Board | 94 | |
| Tailte Éireann (established 01/03/2023) | 49 | |
| Ordnance Survey Ireland (until 28/02/2023) | 2 | |
| Property Registration Authority (until 28/02/2023) | 21 | |
| Valuation Office, (Oifig Luachála) (until 28/02/2023) | 1 | |
| Uisce Éireann | 243 | |
| Valuation Tribunal | 0 | |
| Waterways Ireland | 23 |
Table 3 - Contact Information for aegis bodies
| Bodies under the Aegis of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage | Oireachtas email |
|---|---|
| An Bord Pleanála | |
| An Fóram Uisce | |
| Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority | |
| Docklands Oversight and Consultative Forum | |
| Electoral Commission | |
| Gas Networks Ireland | |
| Heritage Council | |
| Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency | |
| Housing Finance Agency | |
| Land Development Agency | |
| Local Government Management Agency | |
| Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA) | |
| National Oversight and Audit Commission | |
| National Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee | |
| Office of the Planning Regulator | |
| Pyrite Resolution Board | |
| Residential Tenancies Board | |
| Tailte Éireann | |
| Uisce Éireann | |
| Valuation Tribunal | |
| Waterways Ireland |
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