If you would like to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2014, your application must be made in writing—either by email or post—and should clearly state that it is being made under the Freedom of Information Act 2014.
To help us process your request as efficiently as possible, please be as specific as you can about the information you're seeking. If you would like the information in a particular format please include that in your request.
If you are requesting access to your personal information, you must provide proof of identity. Acceptable forms of ID include a passport or driving licence.
The University's FOI Unit provides assistance to persons with a disability who want to exercise their rights under the FOI Act (e.g. accepting oral requests from requesters who are unable to read, print and/or write due to their disability, enabling the requester to inspect of have records explained).
If you're unsure how to phrase your request or need help identifying the information you’re looking for, our Freedom of Information Officer is happy to help at any stage. Please contact us at [email protected].
Under the Act, the University is obliged to:
- Acknowledge receipt of the request within two weeks.
- Make a decision on the request within four weeks (or eight weeks in certain limited circumstances).
University managers are designated decision makers in respect of the records held within their respective departments. Where an FOI request spans multiple areas of the University, a single decision maker may be appointed to coordinate the response and issue the final decision to grant, part-grant, or refuse access, in accordance with the provisions of the Act.
If a response is not issued within four weeks the request is deemed to have been refused and the requester can proceed to the internal review stage.
If a request is refused, can it be appealed? Yes, It may be appealed to an Internal Reviewer within four weeks of being notified of the initial decision. The review will be carried out by an official, senior to the person who made the original decision. The review must be completed within three weeks.
If you are unhappy with the review, you have the right to appeal the decision to the Information Commissioner. (Section 22) Appeals, in writing, may be made to the Appeals Commissioner at the following address: Office of the Information Commissioner, 18 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin 2
There is a right of appeal to the High Court, on a point of law only, in certain circumstances.