More than 40,000 requests were made under the Freedom of Information Act last year.
The Information Commissioners annual report, published this morning, shows that there has been an 89% increase in applications to review FOI decisions in the past ten years.
Last year's overall total of 40,000 FOI requests is an increase of 179% since 2009.
The bodies that received the most requests in 2019 were the Health Service Executive, the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, St James's Hospital in Dublin and Tusla - Child and Family Agency.
Information Commissioner Peter Tyndall said there is considerable room for improvement within the 2014 Freedom of Information Act.
He has made a number of recommendations aimed at improving it for everyone and he is calling on the incoming government to review the act.
Mr Tyndall also wants to see the extension of its powers to all bodies in receipt of significant public funding.
Commissioner's recommendations
· The introduction of an administrative tribunal to speedily consider appeals of the commissioner's decisions and reduce the burden on the courts
· Closer alignment of the FOI and Access to Information on the Environment regimes
· Extension of the FOI Act to all bodies in receipt of significant public funding
· Revision of the process for resolving disputes as to whether bodies are covered by the act.
