The Margin thought readers might like to hear the latest figures for Freedom Of Information requests made by Michael Grange/Acorn Associates to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: 194. That's as of September 30th and constitutes just more than 40 per cent of the total received (466) by the Department. The same source accounts for 86 of the 101 internal appeals made to date against refusals by the Department, and 31 of the 35 subsequent appeals to the Information Commissioner.

Ms Harney told the Dail earlier this year that her Department estimated the average cost of processing a request at £650 (€825), which means Grange/ Acorn Associates' desire for information had cost the taxpayer £126,000 up to the end of September.

The Department now includes a special column giving the latest Grange/Acorn figures in its regular tabulated statistics table of FOI requests. Readers will be kept informed of developments.