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More Information on Freedom of Information Legislation
From Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform
Published on
Last updated on
Freedom of Information Legislation
provides that every person has the following legal rights:
The legislation requires Freedom of Information or FOI bodies to respond to written requests for records they hold. In most cases, a decision must be provided within four weeks. Also, FOI bodies are required to publish information in line with the model publication scheme, and are encouraged to publish as much information as possible outside of FOI.
Each FOI body has one or more FOI Officers who are responsible for handling requests and each body publishes information on how to make an FOI request to it.
In the 2014 Act, FOI was extended to all public bodies, subject to limited exemptions in whole or in part.
Further information is available here
The Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform has central policy responsibility for the Freedom of Information Act 2014.
General information on FOI, including the FOI Act 2014 is available on the national FOI Website , which is run from the FOI Central Policy Unit in the Department.
Please note that it is not possible to seek records held by other FOI Bodies through the Freedom of Information Central Policy Unit in the Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform. If you want to access records held by a public body you must apply directly to that public body, or, in the case of non-public bodies significantly funded by the State, the funding agency.
In addition, the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform is an FOI body in relation to the records it holds. Please follow this link to find how to submit a Freedom of Information request to the department and this link to see information published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform under the Act
Review of the Freedom of Information Act
A comprehensive review of the Freedom of Information Act was announced by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath T.D. in June 2021.
The review was announced at an event on the future of FOI in Ireland organised by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and moderated by Peter Tyndall, Ireland's Information Commissioner at the time.
The panel featured:
A recording of the event can be viewed here.
Cabinet approval was given for a review into the Freedom of Information Act in September 2021 and a roadmap document was published in September 2021 providing stakeholders with details of the process.
This was followed by a consultation on the scope of the review which concluded in December 2021. Approximately 1,200 responses were received from stakeholders across all sectors.
A customer satisfaction survey was undertaken, concluding in May 2022, which received almost 1,100 further responses.
Based on the previous stages of information gathering, a full public consultation was undertaken around key themes in the review, which closed in September 2022. 60 further responses were received. Alongside this process, focus group sessions and interviews were carried out with key stakeholder groups.
Minister McGrath updated Government on the Review of the Freedom of Information Act on 13th December 2022 and the Review of the Freedom of Information Act Progress Update was published in December 2022.
To read the full review: Review of the Freedom of Information - Progress Update
The draft review report is currently being prepared.
More information on FOI can be accessed at www.FOI.gov.ie
The FOI Central Policy Unit of the Department will publish further details in relation to the review in due course.
To be included in the mailing list for updates on the review as it progresses, please email:
If you have any other queries or comments relating to the review, you can contact:
or write to:
FOI Central Policy Unit,
Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform,
Government Buildings,
Upper Merrion Street,
Dublin 2,
D02 R583.