Over three-quarters of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests made in 2007 were granted to some extent, according to a report published today.
The Tenth Report on the Freedom of Information Act, which provides statistics about use of the Act during 2007, shows that 10,704 FOI requests were made in 2007, of which 77 per cent were granted either in full or in part.
That breaks down to 6,323 requests granted, 2,211 part granted, and 1,407 refused during 2007.
Responding to the report's publication, Fine Gael accused Fianna Fáil of fostering the perception of "a culture of secrecy at the heart of the State" and causing FOI applications to fall by imposing fees.
Broken down by sector, the Health Service Executive received the most FOI requests - 3,955, or 37 per cent of the total for 2007, followed by Government departments and State bodies (3,230, 30 per cent), and other bodies, including voluntary hospitals and statutory voluntary Agencies (1,685, 16 per cent).
In terms of requester, clients comprised 60 per cent, journalists 8 per cent, business/interest groups 6 per cent, Oireachtas/public representative 1 per cent, staff 5 per cent, and others 20 per cent.
Unveiling the report, Martin Mansergh, Minister of State at the Department of Finance, noted that April 21st, 2008, was the 10th anniversary of the FOI Act and said: "10 years on, we have a well-embedded FOI regime, which has contributed over the past decade to improving the relationship between the citizen and government."
However, Fine Gael deputy leader Richard Bruton today said a fall in Freedom of Information (FoI) applications “shows the urgent need for the scheme’s punitive fees to be slashed”.
“When Fianna Fáil started charging for FoI applications it had an immediate impact on the number of applications, which dropped by 7,739, or 42 per cent between 2003 and 2007. The Information Commissioner has said this significant reduction is due to the introduction of fees,” he said.
“On several occasions the Commissioner has called for a review of the scale and structure of FoI charges.
“The Freedom of Information scheme was created in order to foster a culture of openness and transparency. Yet Fianna Fáil’s ill-advised decision to impose fees has seriously damaged the scheme and its effectiveness,” Mr Bruton continued.
“The Government’s repeated claim that the fees discourage spurious applications is bogus and undermines the spirit in which the Act was created. It reinforces the perception that Fianna Fáil is fostering a culture of secrecy at the heart of the State.”
The Fine Gael finance spokesman added that in terms of countries that operate FoI schemes like the Irish one, Ireland is one of only two jurisdictions to charge for an appeal.
Mr Bruton continued: “Fianna Fáil has also ignored repeated calls for the FoI Act to be extended to a swathe of bodies which are currently not covered, including An Garda Síochána, the Central Applications Office, the Adoption Board, the State Claims Agency, the Central Bank and the Financial Services Authority.”
Of the State's counties, Dublin put in the most requests last year, with 297, followed by Cork (182) and Galway (124). At the other end of the scale Leitrim registered a mere four requests.
A total of 130,150 FOI information requests have been made between April 21st, 1998, and December 31st, 2007. Of these, 61,526 requests have been granted, 28,533 part granted, and 20,005 refused.
The Freedom of Information Act gives people the right to access records held by Government Departments and certain public bodies. Applicants do not require a reason for seeking any records, and the Government Department or body must give an explanation if the applicant is not given what is sought.
The report can be accessed online on the FOI website www.foi.gov.ie and on the Department's website www.finance.gov.ie
