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OVER THE PAST six years there has been a steady decline in the percentage of Freedom of Information requests fully granted by the Taoiseach’s Department.
The largest percentage of requests granted was in 2009 when over half (52) of the 99 requests submitted were granted in full.
The Department of the Taoiseach provided information in the Dáil on the requests it received under Freedom of Information from 2009 to 2015.
2009 was also the only year were more requests were granted in full than part granted.
The figures show a steady decline in the percentage of requests fully granted over the past six years.
The high of 52% in 2009 dropped to 37% in 2010 and continued to drop in the following years.
2011 and 2012 saw 28% of requests fully granted, while 2013 and 2014 saw a further drop to 21%.
More requests
Last year saw the highest number (173) of Freedom of Information requests received by the Taoiseach’s Department over the past six years.
In the year previous, 2013, almost half as many requests came in (91) and of those just 20 were fully granted.
Of the 120 requests listed for 2015, 39 of those are ongoing from previous years.
The chart below shows the number of requests which have faced an internal appeal or review within the Taoiseach’s Department after initially being refused.
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“RTÉ’s Director General Dee Forbes was not available to comment.”
She’s only available for comment when looking for a TV licence increase.
How can RTE news stick microphones and cameras in peoples faces looking for news stories, and when they become the story “no comment”?
@Niall Sullivan: Well said.
@Niall Sullivan: while they are a slimy organisation they sometimes have good Tv to be fair but still…..slimey
@Chris Finn: Ah yeah. Fair City, Winning Streak..Riveting stuff! :D
Austerity is only for the little people.
@Dave Hogan: 207 managers in RTE says it all.
@ktsiwot: exactly my thoughts
When is RTE going to explain why Ray Dary gets €500,000 for a show that features on Radio One (total audience for the station per week 2 million) while Jeremy Vine gets £700,000 for a show on Radio 2 (total audience for the station per week 15 million)? It is about time that the media focuses on the salaries of RTE’s so called stars and those in BBC radio.
@BrianMcB: Not to mention the fact the BBC produce far, far better content. Don’t listen to Irish Radio anymore. Listen to BBC Radio 4 myself. The Infinite Monkey Cage on Tuesdays is brilliant. And the comedy is second to none.
They also discuss real world issues, quite critically in fact, without someone shutting down the debate by yelling “racciiiistttt!” It’s all very civilised.
Of course they will say that…they are secret.
@Paul O Mahony: listen to lbc and see how radio should be done.
http://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/
Paying my TV licene is the one bill I detest paying. The salaries their top “stars” ( I say through gritted teeth) are unjustified. There is plenty of fresh new talent out there who would love the opportunity to work in media at that level for a fraction of the cost. It is my view that RTÉ news is not free, impartial & totally independent. As someone remarked to me a while back, it is Éire’s version of Pravda news. The public pay the licence fee & we demand full accountability & transparency.
@Declan Carroll:
I wouldn’t mind so much if it were not for the fact that 100% of programming on rte is pure muck.
@50 Pence: it’s actually decent sometimes
This is one for prime time investigates
Releasing the figures for the top ten earners isn’t good enough. This will only provoke the usual knee jerk reactions against clowns like Darcy, Tubridy, Finucane , Duffy et al
We should get much more than this, so that we can form an overall picture of the pay structures operating in an organsiation that we fund and that should be, in some way,acccountable to us.
I doubt we will hear any more from Dee Forbes (Is it a real name??) begging for more money. Although she is probably that out of touch she doesn’t realise hw insulting she is being begging for it in the first place. I doubt too many people would miss RTE or anything it ever produces.
Doubt if Joe will be discussing this on Liveline today, or any day for that matter.
@Seamus Ryan: Is it true Joe the socialist Duffy is on 400,000 + a year.
What???
The “highly talented” rat darcy, katherine Thomas, turbidy and lottie ryan aren’t getting bonuses on top of their super duper salaries!!!!!!
Why not…..this muck ” talent” needs recognition
@Frank Dubogovik: I think this refers to the “managers” who throw other people’s money at this “talent”. I would say that they just divvy up overall advertising revenue to compensate for “talent” expenses that comes from the public, ensuring that every program makes a profit, and wahey – we’re all entitled to our bonuses! All the public need is a first year business student to go in and look at the books, and we can get a picture of the absolute waste and misappropriation of public money that goes on in there.
#joke key reason I got rid of telly. Why should I subsidize an organisation incapable of living within its means…no-one gonna bail me out if I spend more than I earn…typical public sector…only know how to pay each other increments…know the value of nothing coz it’s not their money…sense of entitlement is sickening.
I have not watched TV in years. ‘Pay per View’, see what happens then.
Raise the TV licence and see where it goes ☺
@Willy Malone: better still..make it pay per view and see where it goes. Down the pan I suspect.
So is the independent newspaper lying to us again?
More chiefs than the all the American Indian nations put together !!….
Which of those 289 managers and profession staff has taken the decision not to broadcast their interviews with Gerry Adams on the very serious issue of mental health and suicide awareness over the past 2 days???
Why is RTE playing party political games with such an important issue???
I see sharon has moved to the left seat while dobby is on holidays….
have your say