7 FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

7.1    Section 46(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 1997 provides a right of access only with regard to records which relate to the general administration of the Office. This in effect means that records concerning criminal prosecution files are not accessible under the FOI Act.

7.2    The Office continues to make FOI information available as readily as possible. Our section 5 and 6 Reference Book is widely available both in public libraries throughout the country and on our website at www.dppireland.ie. This publication outlines the business of the Office including the types of records kept.

7.3    The FOI unit can be contacted by telephone or by e-mail at foi@dppireland.ie . This e-mail address can be used for general queries on FOI but cannot be used to submit a request where an application fee is required.

7.4    During 2007 a total of seventeen requests were submitted to the Office. Thirteen of the requests were refused under the Act and two requests were withdrawn. A further two requests were granted in part. The reason for the refusals was that the records sought did not relate to the general administration of the Office.

7.5    One of the requests was submitted by a journalist, while the other sixteen requests were made by the general public with a total of fifteen of these requests relating to criminal files.

7.6    In the thirteen cases where requests were refused, only two of the people making the request sought an internal review of the original decision. In both these cases the original decision was upheld. One requester then appealed the decision to the Information Commissioner who also upheld the original decision.