Freedom of Information

The Freedom of Information Act, 2014 (FOI) provides that every person has the following legal rights:

Right to access official records held by public bodies listed in the Act.
Right to have personal information held on them corrected or updated where such information is incomplete, incorrect or misleading.
Right to be given reasons for decisions taken by public bodies that affect them.

The Act gives the public the right to obtain access to official information to the greatest extent possible consistent with the public interest and the right to privacy of individuals.

How Does the Act Work?

The Act requires CORU to acknowledge receipt of an FOI request within two weeks, ten working days. CORU must respond within four weeks (or such longer period as provided for in exceptional cases under the Act) of receiving a request for access.

Your request will be handled by a designated Freedom of Information Officer who will assist members of the public in seeking access to records under the Act.

Making an Application under the Freedom of Information Act, 2014

Your request for access to records under the Act shall be in writing, addressed to the Freedom of Information Officer, on the FOI Request Form.

Give sufficient particulars to enable the record to be identified.
Written consent from a third party is required if records concerning a third party are being sought.
You do not have to give reasons for requesting access to records and no person has the right to demand such reasons from you.

Send your FOI request to

Freedom of Information Officer, Corporate Services, CORU, Infinity Building, George's Court, George's Lane, Smithfield, Dublin 7, D07 E98Y.

Phone: 01 293 3160 or email foi@coru.ie.

Fees

The Freedom of Information Act 2014 provides for some fees. In respect of personal records, no fees will be charged for copying the records requested unless a large number of records are involved.

In respect of non-personal information the following charges will apply:

No application fee.
Appeal to the Internal Reviewer will carry a fee of €30 (€10 for medical card holders).
Appeal to the Information Commissioner will carry a fee of €50 (€15 for medical card holders).
Fees will also be charged for the search and retrieval of materials at the rate of €20 per hour and copying at .04c per page involved in the application.
There is a cap of €500 on these charges and any costs above this amount may require the request to be refined or CORU may refuse to process the application.

Right of Review and Appeal

Appeal to the Internal Reviewer

If you are dissatisfied regarding a decision of CORU to limit or refuse access under the Freedom of Information Act 2014, then you have the right of appeal to the Internal Reviewer.

Should you wish to have your FOI response reviewed/ appealed please contact:

FOI Internal Reviewer, Corporate Services, CORU, Infinity Building, George's Court, George's Lane, Smithfield, Dublin 7, D07 E98Y.

Phone: 01 293 3160

Appeal to the Information Commissioner

If you are dissatisfied with the decision taken by the Internal Reviewer, you have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner.

The contact details for the Information Commissioner are:

Information Commissioner, 18 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin 2, D02 HE97.

Appeal to the High Court

If you are unhappy with the decision of the Information Commissioner following such an appeal you may appeal to the High Court on a point of law from the decision.

Access to Information outside the Freedom of Information Act, 2014

Information can be obtained outside the FOI Act through the following:

Discussions with the Freedom of Information Officer
Information from annual reports and other publications by CORU
Formal access i.e. by writing to the appropriate officer of CORU stating the nature of the information requested
As a matter of routine and under formal access all appropriate information will be made available to the requester having regard to privacy, confidentiality and the public interest.