Freedom of Information
Introduction
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.
The Act requires CORU to acknowledge receipt of an FOI request within five 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Access to Information on the Environment (AIE)
The Access to Information on the Environment Regulations (AIE) gives everyone the right to gain access to environmental information that is held by a public authority. The Regulations arise from an EU Directive, known as the AIE Directive.
a) the state of the elements of the environment (e.g. air, water, soil, land, landscape; biological diversity
b) factors affecting, or likely to affect, the elements of the environment (e.g. energy, noise, radiation, waste, other releases into the environment)
c) measures designed to protect the elements of the environment (e.g. policies, legislation, plans, programmes, environmental agreements)
d) reports on the implementation of environmental legislation
e) analyses and assumptions used within the framework of measures designed to protect the environment; and
f) the state of human health and safety, the food chain, cultural sites and built structures in as much as they may be affected by the elements of the environment.
How Does the AIE Regulation Work?
The Regulation requires CORU to respond within four weeks (or such longer period as provided for in exceptional cases) of receiving a request.
Your request will be handled by a designated Access to Information on the Environment (AIE) Officer, who will assist members of the public in seeking access to records under the Regulation.
Making an Application under the Access to Information on the Environment (AIE) Regulations, 2017
Your request for records under AIE shall be in writing, or electronic form addressed to the AIE Officer.
· 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 AIE request to
AIE 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
There is no fee to make a request under the Access to Information on the Environment Regulations.
The Regulations allow for the charging of a reasonable fee to provide for the cost of supplying the environmental information. CORU may charge a reasonable fee for supplying environmental information depending on the volume of work involved in compiling information where it has not been previously available in an accessible format. This fee has been set as €20 per hour.
· The standard cost of making an appeal to the Commissioner for Environmental Information is €50 (€15 for medical card holders)
· Fees will be charged for the search and retrieval of materials at the rate of €20 per hour and if requesters require hard copies there may be a fee of 4c per sheet depending on the volume of information contained in the request and this will be advised in the final letter.
· Where the estimated cost of supplying information on the environment is likely to exceed €100, a deposit of at least 20% of the total amount will be required. In such cases, the requestor will be advised in writing of the position and will be provided with an opportunity to review or amend the request
Appeal to the Internal Reviewer
If you are dissatisfied regarding a decision of CORU to limit or refuse access under the Access to Information on the Environment (AIE) 2017, then you have the right of appeal to the Internal Reviewer.
Should you wish to have your AIE response reviewed/appealed please contact:
AIE Internal Reviewer, 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
Appeal to the Commissioner for Environmental Information
If you are dissatisfied with the decision taken by the Internal Reviewer, you have the right to appeal the Commissioner for Environmental Information.
Their contact details are:
Office of the Commissioner for Environmental Information (OCEI),
6 Earlsfort Terrace,
Dublin 2,
D02 W773
Telephone: +353 (0)1 6395689
Email: info@ocei.ie
Appeal to the High Court
If you are unhappy with the decision of the Commissioner for Environmental Information following such an appeal, you may appeal to the High Court on a point of law from the decision.
