The Departments of Health and Education accounted for more than 69 per cent of the total Freedom of Information requests to Government departments in 2005, new figures have revealed.
Figures released by the Government today show the first increase in the number of requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) since charges were introduced three years ago.
The eighth report on the Freedom of Information Act shows that 14,600 FOI requests were made to public bodies last year - an increase of 16 per cent on the 2004 figure but 21 per cent short of the figure for 2003.
Although members of the public accounted for over 80 per cent of requests received, it is understood that the increase is almost entirely accounted for by applications to the Department of Education for records by people applying to the Residential Institutions Redress Board
The combined number of requests - 4,108 - received in the departments of Education and Science and Health and Children accounted for more than 69 per cent of the total number in all Government departments.
Some 82 per cent of requests were made by members of the public, while the number made by journalists accounted for just 6.5 per cent of the total.
The number of requests by the media declined after the Government amended FOI legislation to levy charges for information supplied under the Act.
Four per cent of requests dealt with last year were subject to an internal review within the department or body concerned, and less than 2 per cent of the total were appealed to the Information Commissioner after the information was refused.
Just over 22 per cent of requests made last year were for non-personal information, compared with 25 per cent the previous year and 41 per cent in 2003.
Speaking last May, Information Commissioner Emily O'Reilly said that despite a surge of applications to the Department of Education from former residents of institutions, overall use of the Act was "static".
A Council of Europe report called on the Government earlier this year to reconsider the decision to charge for Freedom of Information requests, saying the fee system sends a negative signal to the public that is contrary to the principles of the right to access official information, as laid down in the Freedom of Information Act.