The Senior Investigator varied the Department's decision. She found that the Department was justified in refusing to release the information contained in the records which related to the operations of third parties. She found that section 36(1)(b) applied to this information and that the public interest, on balance, did not favour its release. She also found that the Department had not justified its reliance on sections 35(1)(a) or 36(1)(b) in relation to the remaining information in the records concerning Galway City Council, G2020 and related payments and she directed its release.