Annual Report 2024: Record FOI Requests and Review Applications to Irish Information Commissioner (assets.oic.ie)

• FOI requests to public bodies rose 11.2% to 41,660 — highest since 2014.
• Deemed refusals (no decision by public body) account for 36% of accepted reviews, up 4 percentage points.
• Statutory review of FOI Act stalled in 2024; OIC calls for more resources for FOI units.

"The 2024 annual report of the Irish Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC) records an 11.2% rise in FOI requests to public bodies to 41,660 and a 16% increase in applications for review to the OIC to 772. The OIC closed 521 reviews (up 11%), but caseload rose 39% to 305. 42% of reviews were closed within four months (down 9 percentage points). 36% of accepted reviews involved deemed refusals. The statutory review of the FOI Act saw no progress in 2024. The Commissioner called for better resourcing of FOI units in public bodies."