143 Ms M. McGennis asked the Minister for Health and Children the companies or businesses from which his Department has received most frequent requests under the Freedom of Information Act, 1997, other than requests by businesses for personal information; the general nature of the information sought; and the costs levied on the companies or businesses for the processing of these requests. [16418/99]

The Department of Health and Children has received 281 FOI requests since the commencement of the Act on 21 April 1998. Some 50 of these were for personal information.

The 231 non-personal requests can be categorised as follows: