Taoiseach.gov.ie

Department of the Taoiseach
List of non-personal Freedom of Information requests granted
Quarter 2 2013
Description
Decision
Date Issued
FOI/2012/1827 “all documents (including emails, memos, draft reports, ministerial notes, letters) between the Department of Finance and the Department of An Taoiseach between Nov 1 2009 and September 30 2010 relating to the formation/workings of the Croke Park Agreement." FOI/2012/1829 “all correspondence received by the Department and the Taoiseach - to exclude representations from TDs on behalf of their constituents, but to include correspondence from TDs on their own behalf; and to exclude letters from ordinary members of the public - since October 1 2012, concerning abortion.” FOI/2013/1837 - All correspondence (emails) sent to Taoiseach Enda Kenny by members of the public in relation to the issue of abortion from November 26-December 2 (when the expert group report on abortion was published). - All correspondence (emails) sent to Junior Minister Lucinda Creighton by members of the public in relation to the issue of abortion from November 26-December 2 (when the expert group report on abortion was published). - All correspondence (letters and emails) sent to Taoiseach Enda Kenny by members of the public and politicians in relation to the issue of the proposed abolition of the Seanad from July 1 to present. FOI/2013/1844 “copies of any written correspondence (in the period November 1 2012 to February 4th 2013) from Labour and Fine Gael Oireachtas members, excluding Government Ministers, to the Taoiseach regarding Government's intention to legislate for the European Court of Human Rights judgement in the A, B and C. V Ireland Case”. FOI/2013/1851 "all correspondence and documents exchanged between Martin McAleese and the Taoiseach/the Taoiseach's Office between July 2011 and February 2013." FOI/2013/1854 "all correspondence with former Taoisigh in 2012 and to date in 2013. I would like also like all correspondence between the Taoiseach and other Ministers in the last three months concerning abortion. I would also like all correspondence between the Taoiseach and/or the Secretary General with other Ministers in the last six months concerning mortgage arrears." FOI/2013/1855 "all correspondence between the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Justice between 1st December 2008 and 31st January 2009, regarding the fire at the Stardust nightclub, and, regarding the Report of the Examination of the Stardust Victim Committee's case for a Reopened Inquiry into the Stardust Fire Disaster, by Paul Coffey SC. All correspondence between Secretary General of the Department of Justice and Assistant Private Secretary to the Taoiseach, between 1st December 2008 and 31st January 2009, regarding the fire at the Stardust nightclub and regarding the Report of the Examination of the Stardust Victim Committee's case for a Reopened Inquiry into the Stardust Fire Disaster, by Paul Coffey SC. A copy of the Report of the Tribunal of Inquiry on the fire at the Stardust, Artane, Dublin on the 14th February, 1981, by Justice Ronan Keane, published 1981. A copy of the transcripts of evidence given to the Examination of the Stardust Victim Committee's case for a Reopened Inquiry into the Stardust Fire Disaster on 22nd September 2008 and 23rd September 2008, chaired by FOI/2013/1857 "1) The cost of the State reception at Dublin Castle for the newly-inaugurated President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, on November 11, 2011. To include all pre-event estimates and assessments (including letters/emails etc), and all returns of amounts consumed in food and drink and the value thereof, together with assessments and reports as to whether the celebrations exceeded the budget allocated or the amount envisaged, the reasons for this, the scale of any overshoot in cost, and any recommendations or precautions adopted in relation to future events. Some 1,700 guests were reportedly invited to this reception to celebrate his inauguration, including 270 people who were personally invited by the President himself. To see a marked guest list as to who was invited, and who attended. Also any subsequent letters, emails or correspondence from invited guests relating to the event, excluding communications confining themselves to brief expressions of thanks. 2) Any and all reports, assessments/analyses, documents, emails, letters, etc., relating to the possible establishment of a Twitter account for An Taoiseach and any commentaries on the efficacy/inherent dangers of same, or Twitter accounts maintained by foreign Heads of Government or Heads of State. 3) Any and all reports, assessments/analyses, documents, emails, letters etc., relating to the possibility or advisability of an apology by An Taoiseach to the women of the Magdalene laundries, the possible legal or financial consequences thereof, and any legal advice obtained outside of Cabinet consideration, to include any Counsel's Opinion obtained, from January 1, 2013 to February 19 2013. Also any correspondence or communication received from any members or the public or organised groups in the wake of the Magdalene apology seeking a similar apology and/or compensation in relation to any other matter of claimed State involvement or responsibility, from to February 19, 2013, the date of the Magdalene apology by Mr. Kenny, to date of this letter, Monday March 4, 2013, inclusive. 4) Any correspondence (whether letter, email, etc) engaged in An Taoiseach relating to the Ministerial Air Transport Service (MATS) of the Aer Corps, and/or its aircraft, personnel, or service provision, whether received from, or addressed to, MATS itself, or the Department of Defence, or involving any Minister of Government or agency or arm of the State, from March 6, 2011 to date of this letter." FOI/2013/1859 "1) The cost of the Constitutional Convention meetings, gatherings, welcoming receptions, etc, to date, including travel, subsistence, hotel accommodation and sundries for all attendees. Total of all costs to date, broken down by category. Details of all hotel bills, room hire, bar and restaurant charges, stationery items, amplification equipment, meals/water/tea/coffee, amplification equipment, wifi internet or other incidental charges, lighting, guest speakers, etc, to include all invoices and full receipts for all 100 members (in total), staff (in total), and other invited attendees (to be individually identified by name, please). Also all related correspondence, whether by letter, email, etc, re the amounts/bills/expenses incurred, any damage caused by any member, guest or delegate, and whether any submitted expense was queried or not paid, together with any written views of the hotel/s involved, in any form, and any reports or recommendations on precautions/procedures to be adopted in future. 2) To see sight of any and all correspondence in any form *to* and *from* delegates and their alternates as to their availability or non-availability, attendance or non-attendance, on any particular dates and for any reason, and details of the occasions when alternates have been used, their identity in broad terms (e.g. - female, under 25, from Leinster), and whether they have engaged in straight swaps for persons in the like category, or whether there have been occasions when a mismatch may have occurred (e.g. a male aged 65+ from Munster substituting for a female, under 25, from Leinster), and any relevant views or materials on whether this represents a distortion of the representative sample. To know if there are any (and if so, how many) originally selected delegates who have not attended any meetings. 3) The ballot results for all proposals and issues put to the Convention (or any subcommittee thereof), broken down by each substantive motion put (e.g., reducing the Presidential term from seven to five years), total poll, number of spoiled votes, total valid poll, numbers for, numbers against, numbers abstaining. To know whether any casting vote was used in any case. 4) The minutes of each meeting held of the Constitutional Convention. Ditto with any subcommittee meeting. 5) Records of any quorum called, or of any quorum set, and to know full details thereof. Also whether any meeting was adjourned for any particular reason, e.g., to watch a Six Nations rugby match. 6) Whether any persons has ever been expelled from, or asked to leave, any Convention meeting or subcommittee meeting, or expelled from, or asked to leave the hotel itself, or the Convention entirely, or suspended from any part thereof. 7) Records of all honorariums, bursaries, expenses etc, being paid to the Chairman, Tom Arnold, on an ex officio basis; or to be paid to him, including travel, accommodation and subsistence records. 8) Records of any claims of loss or injury against the Convention, howsoever caused, by any and all delegates, staff, or guest, and details of each such claim, together with broad identification of the claimant in each case (gender/age/geographic origin), and by name if a member of staff or other invited attendee. 9) Any disciplinary incident or nuisance or complaint involving the Convention members, staff, or invited guests, whether by any hotel management, other guest/s, other member of the Convention members, staff, invited speakers, etc. Timeframe from October 1, 2013, the date of this letter, March 8, 2013." FOI/2013/1860 "a full list of gifts received and given by Taoiseach Enda Kenny since he became Taoiseach in March 2011. A breakdown of the cost of the gifts given by Mr. Kenny since he became Taoiseach in March 2011." FOI/2013/1861 "1) A register of all gifts offered to the Taoiseach between 1 January 2012 and 1 March 2013, including all correspondence regarding such gifts, including any gifts which may have been declined." FOI/2013/1862 "1) Taoiseach's diary from Monday, 21 January - Sunday, 27 January 2013. 2) Briefing notes prepared for An Taoiseach for his visit to Davos for World Economic Forum. 3) Briefing notes prepared for An Taoiseach on the issue of Myanmar, formerly Burma, for the World Economic Forum in Davos or since, including minutes of meetings. 4) List of attendees at IDA event attended by An Taoiseach on Thursday, 24 January. 5) List of attendees at WEF Working Lunch attended by An Taoiseach on Friday, 25 January." FOI/2013/1863 "A database or spreadsheet covering all costs associated with the EU Presidency so far incurred by your Department. - Any records - to include emails, memos, letters, handwritten notes and so on - relating to decision to cut mobility allowance and motorised transport grant from 5 Dec 2012 to date." FOI/2013/1865 "all records, copies, files, and correspondence detailing the gifts and detailing the total costs for 'gifts' paid for and bought by the Department of An Taoiseach since March 9th 2011 until present. All records, copies, files and correspondence detailing the 'art work' and the detailing total costs for art work paid for and bought by the Department of An Taoiseach since March 9th 2011 until present." FOI/2013/1867 "1) Planned engagement with, or a visit to, the aircraft manufacturer Boeing in Seattle during the Taoiseach's USA visit from March 15 to March 22, 2013, inclusive. To include all notes, emails, letters and correspondence, both received and initiated, involving Ryanair, or its Chief Executive Michael O'Leary, or relating to the planned Ryanair acquisition of 100 Boeing aircraft, and whether the Taoiseach might or might not be associated with this in some way. To see records on early draft schedules for the Seattle leg, and to know why early planned engagements may not have been proceeded with. To include any advices or correspondence received, or engaged in, with the Department of Foreign Affairs, or any Irish embassy or consular official relevant to the planning and execution of the Seattle schedule. 2) To see any and all records relating to the presence of the Tánaiste in the Oval Office for the March 2013 meeting with President Obama, such as invitations or correspondence of any kind engaged in that relates to same, and any relating to the possible attendance of the Tánaiste during the Taoiseach's private talks with the President in the White House. 3) Any correspondence, in any form, subsequent to their meeting, that the Taoiseach may have received from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, NY Council Speaker Christine Quinn, US President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner, and Hollywood film director Steven Spielberg. 4) All notes, emails, letters and correspondence, both received and initiated, relating to the Taoiseach's proposed visit to the Freedom Tower in New York, and the safety or dangers of same, and any relating to insurance, including whether any premium was paid for the insurance of the Taoiseach and others against accident during the course of the visit, or the US tour as a whole. 5) To see all briefing notes and/or speaking notes or aides-memoire prepared for the Taoiseach for his private meeting with the President in the White House, to include any protocol advice." FOI/2013/1868 "itemised details of all monies spent on ministerial offices in the Department of the Taoiseach since the general election of February 25, 2011. Please include detailed receipts of every item of expenditure. Also include all correspondence related to all ministerial office spending, both internally, to and from the Office of Public Works, and to and from external bodies. This is also to include plans, drawings, photos, layouts, etc, of any offices." FOI/2013/1872 "copies of all documents - to include emails, memos, letters, handwritten notes, faxes and so on - relating to ministerial report cards prepared by/for the Taoiseach or his staff on Cabinet or junior ministerial colleagues." FOI/2013/1873 "in relation to the 22 representations that the Taoiseach made on behalf of others to the Revenue Commissioners, as noted in the Revenue Commissioners Annual Report 2012, including emails both internal and external, briefing documents, minutes of meetings or any other records in relation to this." FOI/2013/1874 “copies of all cabinet papers relating to the Budget 2002.” FOI/2013/1875 "a schedule of all payments made to the Moriarty Tribunal's legal Part Granted team from 22 March 2011 to date. A schedule of all administration costs for the Moriarty Tribunal paid from 22 March 2011 to date. All records relating to third party legal costs discharged to date by the Moriarty Tribunal. Confirmation of whether any of the Tribunal's Senior Counsel have been paid concluding Brief fees. Records of all legal fees paid by the Department on behalf of the Tribunal from 22 March 2011 to date, other than fees paid to the Tribunal's own legal team. All records, including correspondence and fee notes, relating to Mr. Michael McDowell S.C.'s fees for his work done on behalf of the Tribunal (whether those fees were ultimately paid or not)." FOI/2013/1880 "communications, records, documents in connection with any discussions, communications or other contacts between Sean Quinn, formerly of Quinn Group, Co. Cavan, and the then Taoiseach Brian Cowen in 2010." FOI/2013/1881 "(1) a breakdown of the funding provided to each group or individual who qualified for the Communicating Europe Initiative in 2011 and 2012 (2) copies of the reports supplied on completion of their projects by each group or individual who qualified for funding under the Communicating Europe Initiative in 2011 and 2012 (3) a copy of the review into the Ireland Newfoundland Partnership." FOI/2013/1882 "all records within the Department, within the timeframe 9/3/2011 Part Granted to 14/5/2013, relating to - (1) Farmleigh, including the Steward's House, grounds, accommodations, use of, guests staying overnight etc. (2) Exercise equipment for use by An Taoiseach or any member of the Department. (3) The helipad on the roof of Government Buildings. (4) Parking within the quadrangle of Government Buildings. (5) Any and all orders of hot meals or foodstuffs from outside restaurants, caterers, or takeaways, to include bills and invoices, details of individual items, explanations, etc. (6) Laundry/dry cleaning/ironing services provided for An Taoiseach. (7) New clothing orders for An Taoiseach, e.g. suits, ties, shirts, cufflinks etc. (8) Refurbishment/extension/purchase of any offices, rooms, accommodation, fixtures, fittings, furnishings, decorations intended for the principal use of An Taoiseach."

Source: http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/eng/Publications/Publications_2013/Freedom%20of%20Information%20Requests%202nd%20Quarter%20Report%202013.pdf