What is FOI?
The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 1997, came into effect for the Marine Institute on November 22nd, 2002. It establishes a number of important legal rights for every person, as follows:
- the right to access official records created after 21 April, 1998 which are held by Government Departments or other public bodies listed in the Act;
- the right to have personal information held on them corrected or updated where such information is incomplete, incorrect or misleading;
- and the right to be given reasons for decisions taken by public bodies that affect them.
For more information on the Freedom of Information Act 1997 and the Freedom of Information (Amendment) Act 2003 visit the Freedom of Information Website or the Office of the Information Commissioner Website.
What records can be requested?
Under the Act, the following records are accessible:
- all records created after the Act originally commenced on 21 April, 1998;
- all records created earlier if needed to understand records created after that date;
- all records relating to personal information of clients, irrespective of when they were created;
- all records of staff created after 21 April, 1995, or earlier if used adversely against a staff member.
How do I make a FOI request to the Marine Institute?
Requests for information must be made in writing the following addresses:
FOI Officer,
Marine Institute,
Rinville,
Oranmore,
Galway.
Email: foi@marine.ie
The request must indicate that the information is being sought under the FOI Acts. If information is desired in a particular format (such as a photocopy, computer disk etc.), this should be specified in the application. Requests should be as specific as possible to enable the information sought to be identified. The Marine Institute is obliged to acknowledge the request within two weeks, and generally make a decision on the request within four weeks, or eight weeks in certain cases. If the Institute does not respond within four weeks the decision is deemed to have been refused and the requester can proceed to the review stage. A request for non-personal information must be accompanied by a €15 up front fee (€10 if you are a medical card holder).
An application form (pdf, 4KB) has been devised to facilitate the making of requests. Assistance in making requests If difficulty is experienced in identifying the records required, the FOI Officer will be happy to assist the requester in the formulation of the request.
The FOI Officer can be contacted at the above and also by phone: (091) 387200, or fax: (091) 387201.
What if I am not satisfied with the decision on my FOI request?
You may seek an 'internal review' of the decision by a more senior official within the Institute. Applications for review of a decision on a request must be made within four weeks, and should be addressed to:
FOI Officer,
Marine Institute,
Rinville,
Oranmore,
Galway.
Email: foi@marine.ie
The review must be completed by the Institute within three weeks. If the requester is still unhappy with the decision, he or she has the right to appeal the decision to the Information Commissioner, at the following address:
Office of the Information Commissioner,
18 Lower Leeson Street,
Dublin 2.
Phone: (01) 6785222 Fax: (01) 6610570
Email:foi@ombudsman.irlgov.ie
Is there a charge for getting information under the FOI Act?
A fee of €15 must accompany a request for records other than records containing only personal information relating to oneself. A reduced fee of €10 applies in relation to such a request if you are covered by a medical card. Neither fee applies if the request is for personal information relating to oneself.
Charges may be applied for the time spent finding records and for any photocopying costs incurred by the Institute in providing material to the requester. Requesters will not be charged for the time spent on deciding whether or not to grant their request. It is very unlikely that any costs will arise in cases of personal information, unless the volume of records sought is exceptionally high.
Do I need to make a FOI request to get information from the Marine Institute?
No, it is not necessary to make an FOI request to get information from the Institute. A considerable amount of information is already available to the public through this website, information leaflets, the above publication and in response to queries. Contact points for information on services provided are set out in the Section 16 part of the manual. FOI provides an additional source of information by facilitating access to records not made routinely available.