318. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Transport the number of FOI requests his Department, and each agency under his auspices, received in each year 2020 to 2025, and to date in 2026; the number that were refused on original decision; the number for which reviews were sought and the number of those reviews whereby the original decision was amended; the number for which subsequent appeals were submitted; the number of those appeals which resulted in an amendment to the original decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61037/26]

The Department of Transport compiles a range of statistics on FOI requests annually which are returned to the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. As part of this process statistics from those agencies under the aegis of the Department of Transport who are also FOI bodies are also compiled.

The tables below outline the number of requests received in the period 2020-2025. The tables include:

• The total number of requests;

• The number of requests where the decision was made to refuse the request;

• the number of requests which were subject to an Internal Review; and

• The number of requests which were subject to an appeal to the Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC).

*In 2024 the Department received a concert effort of 168 identical requests received over a two-week period in October 2024. The first request was answered in full and the subsequent requests were refused under Section 15(1)(g) of the FOI Act 2014.

Information on the number of reviews whereby the original decision was amended and information on the number of appeals to the OIC which resulted in an amendment to the original decision are not available as part of this statistical return. The table below has been compiled to provide the number of Department of Transport requests appealed to the OIC and the decision of the OIC.