The Irish Freedom of Information Act 2014 sits at the heart of open and accountable government. It gives people the right to see what public bodies hold about them and how decisions get made. If you work in the public sector or in an organisation that receives public funding, there is a good chance the Act applies to the records you handle every day.
What is the Freedom of Information Act 2014?
The Act governs access to information held by public bodies in Ireland. It now reaches most public bodies unless a specific exemption applies. You do not need to give a reason for your request and you do not need to be an Irish citizen. Anyone can ask.
The Act gives people three core rights. These are:
- The right to access official records held by public bodies
- The right to have personal information corrected where it is incomplete, incorrect or misleading
- The right to be given reasons for decisions that affect them
How a request works
The process is designed to be straightforward. A person writes to the public body, states that the request is made under the FOI Act and describes the records they want. The body acknowledges the request within two weeks and issues a decision within four weeks in most cases. There is no fee to make a request, although charges can apply for the search and retrieval of non personal records.
Not every record can be released. The Act sets out exemptions that protect things like personal privacy, commercial sensitivity and confidentiality. If a requester is unhappy with a decision, they can ask for an internal review and then appeal to the Office of the Information Commissioner.
Why training on the Freedom of Information Act 2014 matters
Compliance is not the job of one FOI officer working alone. Requests can touch almost any part of an organisation, so many staff play a part in finding records, applying exemptions correctly and meeting tight deadlines. When people understand their responsibilities, the whole organisation responds with more confidence.
Good Freedom of Information Act training helps your organisation to:
- Respond to requests on time and avoid missed deadlines
- Apply exemptions correctly so sensitive information stays protected
- Keep accurate records that make every request quicker to handle
- Recognise when to escalate a complex request rather than guessing
Build FOI confidence with a short online course
If you want a simple way to bring your team up to speed, The Learning Rooms offers a self paced online course called Understanding the Irish Freedom of Information Act 2014. It takes around 15 minutes and delivers the essentials through video, animation and narration.
The course suits anyone in an FOI covered organisation who handles records or helps with requests. It covers what the Act is, how to make and handle requests, exemptions and appeals and practical tips for compliance. Learners receive a digital certificate of completion, and the course includes closed captions, keyboard navigation and screen reader support. Find out more or enrol now.
