Press release
Media Release: 2025 saw further increases in use of Freedom of Information - Commissioner
From Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC)
Published on
Last updated on
Information Commissioner, Ger Deering, has highlighted the continued increase in the number of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests made to public bodies and the corresponding demand on his Office which reviews decisions made by public bodies under the FOI Act. The Act provides a number of rights for the public including a right to access records held by public bodies.
Speaking on the publication of his Annual Report for 2025, the Commissioner said that 46,277 FOI requests were made to public bodies, including government departments, health sector bodies and local authorities, in 2025 - an increase of 11% on 2024, and a 65% increase since the FOI legislation was amended in 2014.
Applications to the Information Commissioner to review decisions of public bodies made under the FOI Act also saw an increase - up 53% since the 2014 amended legislation.
The HSE received the most FOI requests in 2025 (14,760), with the Department of Social Protection receiving 2,610 requests.
Most FOI requests received by public bodies in 2025 (Top 4 bodies):
| Public body | 2025 | Increase/decrease on 2024 |
| HSE | 14,760 | +11% |
| Dept. of Social Protection | 2,610 | -0.3% |
| TUSLA - Child & Family Agency | 1,639 | +17% |
| Dept. of Justice, Home Affairs & Migration | 1,522 | +25% |
The Office of the Information Commissioner received 689 applications to review decisions made by public bodies under the FOI Act in 2025 - mostly involving refusals of access to records.
Applications for review accepted by the Information Commissioner in 2025 (Top 4 bodies):
| Public Body | 2025 |
| HSE | 91 |
| Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration | 65 |
| UCD | 28 |
| TUSLA - Child & Family Agency | 16 |
In his Annual Report the Commissioner also noted an increase in cases coming to his Office in 2025 which involve the question of whether the FOI request should be refused as the request itself is ‘frivolous or vexatious’ or ‘forms part of a pattern of manifestly unreasonable requests’. In one decision the Commissioner found, for a number of reasons, that 11 requests made over four days to Údarás na Gaeltachta formed part of a pattern of manifestly unreasonable requests and were vexatious. (See page 36 of the annual report 2025 for details).
In another case the Commissioner found that requests made to the HSE were being used tactically for pursing a grievance against the HSE and that they formed part of a pattern of conduct which suggested an abuse of FOI. (See page 40 of the annual report 2025 for details).
The Information Commissioner’s Annual Report 2025 also highlights the positive feedback following the Office’s outreach and engagement programme with public bodies. The programme provided support and assistance to public bodies in improving their FOI decision making.
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David Nutley
Head of Communications
Office of the Information Commissioner
086 412 0240
6 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2