The Freedom of Information Act gives you the right to access records held by government departments and certain public bodies.
You can ask for the following records held by government departments or certain public bodies:
- any records relating to you personally, whenever created
- all other records created after 21 April 1998
Before making an FOI request please check the Parole Board Freedom of Information Publication Scheme and the Parole Board’s website to ensure that the information you are seeking is not already available.
To make an FOI request, you must apply in writing and indicate that you are seeking the information under the Freedom of Information Act.
In your correspondence, you should give as much information as possible about the records you are seeking and specify how you would prefer to receive the records, for example by way of photocopy, e-mail, etc. You should also provide a telephone number so that we can contact you if necessary.
You may make your application by post or by e-mail using the contact details listed below.
We will respond to all requests within 20 working days from the date the request has been received.
You have the right to:
- access records held by the Parole Board, subject to the provisions of the Act in relation to exempt records
- have personal information about yourself which is held by the Parole Board corrected where it is incorrect, not complete or is misleading;
- access to the reasons for decisions made by the Parole Board which directly affect you
The following are the records which come within the range of the FOI Act:
- all records held by the Parole Board which have personal information about you
- all other records created by the Parole Board since the commencement date of the FOI Act, that is 21 April 1998, (subject to the limitations of the Act)
- any other record which is necessary to help understand a current record
FOI Fees Schedule
| Type of Request/Application | Standard Fee | Reduced Fee |
| Request for a Record - Initial Request | No charge | No charge |
| Request for a Record - Internal Review | €30 | €10 |
| Request for a Record - Review by Commissioner | €50 | €15 |
The reduced fee applies if you are the holder of a medical card or dependent on a holder of a medical card.
While there is no fee for making an initial FOI request, in some circumstances, fees are charged under the FOI Act 2014. The fee for an internal review is €30 (or €10 for medical card holders). If there is a fee, you can pay by cheque, bank draft or postal order.
Charges of €20 per hour may be applied for the time spent finding and retrieving records. You may also be charged for any copying costs incurred in providing you with the material requested.
There is a minimum threshold of €101 below which no search, retrieval and copying charges will be charged. Once the charge reaches the €101 full fees apply.
There is a maximum amount that can be charged under the Regulations and it is set at €500. A further upper ceiling limit on an estimated search, retrieval and copying fees is set at €700, and with any figure above this, a body can refuse to process a request unless the requester is prepared to redefine the request to one below the limit.
In cases where search and retrieval fees apply, we are obliged to charge a deposit of at least 20% of the estimate to the requester.
Any application for access to records held by the Parole Board under the Freedom of Information Act must be addressed to:
Freedom of Information Officer
Address:
The Parole Board, Suite 401, The Capel Building, Mary's Abbey, Dublin 7, D07 N4C6
Email:
