Review of the Freedom of

Information Act
Consultation Document

Prepared by the Department of

Public Expenditure and Reform
www.gov.ie
Contents
Introduction 2
Brief History of FOI in Ireland 2
FOI in practice 3
Emerging issues and international trends 6

The Review Process 9

Responding to this consultation 9

Scoping Consultation 10
Breakdown of responses 10
Overview of scoping responses 11

Structural Issues 12
Streamlining access regimes and related functions 12
Transparency by design 14
Proactive publication 16
Informal release 18
Managing the increased volume of “records” 20

Incremental Reforms 22
Improving the request process 22
Fees and charges 24
Designating FOI Bodies 26
Role of the Information Commissioner 28
Abuse of FOI 29
 2

Introduction
This consultation forms part of a review of the The right of access is by far the most commonly
Freedom of Information Act, which will inform used of these rights, and in practice is
an approach to FOI and transparency policy synonymous with the term “FOI request”. The
more generally into the future, potentially 2014 Act significantly expanded the number of
including amendments to the legislation. bodies that are subject to FOI, to approximately
500 diverse entities.
This is an opportunity to have your say and
to identify strengths and weaknesses of the The first Freedom of Information Act made a
FOI system as you see it. This document sets dramatic change to state information policy
out the context for FOI, including background in Ireland. Previously, the Official Secrets
information, emerging international trends, Act was the main legislation governing state
and the inputs into the review process. It asks information, which demanded a culture of
you to consider structural and incremental secrecy in all instances. Recognising FOI’s
reform issues and poses a number of questions. landmark significance, Fennelly J considered
Its purpose is to garner your views on these that:-
themes, whether each should be a priority
and if so, how appropriate reforms might be The passing of the Freedom of Information
implemented. Act constituted a legislative development
of major importance. By it, the Oireachtas
For further details of the review process and took a considered and deliberate step
how to respond to this consultation, please see which dramatically alters the administrative
page 9. assumptions and culture of centuries. It
replaces the presumption of secrecy with one
of openness. It is designed to open up the
Brief History of FOI in Ireland workings of government and administration
Freedom of Information legislation is designed to scrutiny. It is not designed simply to satisfy
to allow for access to records held by public the appetite of the media for stories. It is for
bodies. Ireland’s first Freedom of Information the benefit of every citizen. It lets light in to the
Act was enacted in 1997. It was amended in offices and filing cabinets of our rulers.1
2002, with a revised and consolidated version
enacted in 2014. The basic model in the However, there may be a tendency for “FOI”
legislation has remained unchanged since its and transparency to be treated as one and the
introduction. It provides for three key rights:- same, where in fact the request mechanism is
only one way of “doing transparency”.
• A right of access to records held by
public bodies, where they are not Indeed, the FOI request mechanism may not
exempt under the terms of the Act; be necessarily suitable or user friendly in all
circumstances, and can often be cumbersome,
• A right to seek an amendment to resource intensive and time-consuming.
personal information that is incorrect, Moreover, there may be an overreliance on
incomplete or misleading; FOI by public servants, seeking reassurance
• A right to seek a statement of reasons that a release of information will not breach
for an action of a public body that data protection or other legislation. These
affected a person’s interests. themes will be explored further later in this
consultation document.

1 Sheedy v. The Information Commissioner [2005] IESC 35

 3

FOI in practice
Recent years have seen a significant expansion of FOI usage. The annual number of FOI requests
handled by public bodies almost doubled between the update to the legislation in 2014 and 2019.
The decade between 2009 and 2019 saw an increase of 179% in the number of FOI requests
received by public bodies.

Fig 1: Number of FOI requests processed annually

45,000

40,000

35,000

30,000

25,000

20,000

15,000

10,000

5,000

0
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

10%
2%
In most given years, the vast majority of FOI requests decided on across the system are granted.
A certain proportion of FOI requests are misdirected and must be transferred to a more
appropriate body. Also, in some instances requests are dealt through an informal release of
information, or can be withdrawn by the requester. 17% The remaining requests must be decided on.
In 2020, the latest year for which statistics are available, close to four out of every five of these
46%
requests were granted in full or in part.

Fig 2: Overall outcome of FOI requests in 2020

25%
10%
2%

Requests granted (46%)

17% Requests part-granted (25%)

46% Requests refused (17%)

Requests transferred to appropriate body (2%)

Requests withdrawn or handled outside FOI (10%)

25%

Requests granted (46%)

Requests part-granted (25%)

Requests refused (17%)

Requests transferred to appropriate body (2%)

 4

Fig 3: Outcome of FOI requests in 2020 by sector

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Civil Service Local HSE Voluntary Regulators Third Level Other
departments Authorities Hospitals etc. and Related Institutions bodies
Agencies

Granted Part-granted Refused Transferred Withdrawn or handled outside of FOI

However, there is significant variance between sectors in relation to outcomes. For example,
refusals and part-grants are more common when a request is made to central government than
where an individual seeks personal records from a hospital.

Fig 4: Types of FOI requests in 2020 Fig 5: Categories of FOI requesters in 2020

19% 23%

43%
4%

3% 1%
57%
50%

personal Journalists (23%) Staff of Public Bodies (3%)

non-personal Business (4%) Clients (50%)

Oireachtas Members (1%) Others (19%)

 5

The majority of requests are by individuals for In terms of volume, a little over half of requests
personal information relating to them, often in were made to central and local government,
healthcare settings. In 2020, the last year for with 40% directed towards health sector
which figures are available, this made up almost entities.
60% of requests. Clients of public bodies were
the largest single grouping of requesters, while
journalists made up a little under a quarter of Fig 7: Outcome of OIC Reviews in 2020
the total. It should be noted that there is
significant variance across bodies and sectors
in relation to the types of requests received. 4%

20% 12%

Fig 6: Distribution of FOI requests by sector in

2020

0.50% 8%

13.7%
12%
28%
44%

41%
15% Settlement reached (4%)

Withdrawn (12%)
3%
Decision affirmed (44%)

Decision annulled (12%)

Health Service Executive (27.7%)

Voluntary Hospitals, Mental Health Services Decision varied (8%)

and Related Agencies (14.7%)
Discontinued (20%)
Third Level Institutions (2.9%)

Government Departments and State Bodies (41%)

Local Authorities (13.7%)

Other (0.5%)
 6

Where a person is unhappy with the outcome The FOI model was designed in an era where
of their FOI request, they may seek a review. In both record-keeping and publication were
the first instance, this review is carried out by a paper-based. It was expected that a request
more senior member of staff in the organisation for records would lead to a clearly identifiable
and is known as an “internal review”. Following filing cabinet that would likely contain all
this, if the requester remains dissatisfied, relevant material. Conversely, proactive
they may seek an independent review by the publication at that time required significant
Information Commissioner. printing and distribution costs, with no
guarantee that an interested party would be
The rate at which reviews are sought has in a position to physically access the relevant
remained consistently low over time, with information.
internal reviews sought in approximately 3% of
cases in most given years (3.3% in 2020), and The rise of information technology and
reviews by the Commissioner sought in about the internet has effectively turned these
1% of cases annually (1.3% in 2020). assumptions on their head. Now, records of
public bodies are so numerous and dispersed
The outcomes of the Commissioner’s process that even locating records relevant to a
include cases where the request is withdrawn, request has in many cases become a significant
or the matter is settled by the release of some challenge. Moreover, many of the records
records, or discontinued by the Commissioner generated on a daily basis in public bodies,
where he does not have jurisdiction, or on particularly emails, are mundane and of a type
other grounds. Of the cases where the that when FOI was designed would likely not
Commissioner formally ruled on the approach have been recorded in the first place.
taken by the body in 2020, the decision was
affirmed in 70%, varied in 12%, and annulled or On the other hand, the costs of online
overturned in 18%. publication are now almost non-existent,
and material made available in this format is
readily available to the vast majority of the
Emerging issues and international trends population.2
This review of the Freedom of Information
system is being undertaken on the 25th Internationally, there is evidence that the
anniversary of the first FOI legislation in request-based FOI model can be seen as
Ireland. In the intervening years, there being a crossroads. Recent years have seen
has been a transformation of the ways in persistent claims in various countries that
which individuals seek out and interact with FOI is “broken”3 and needs “saving”.4 Others,
information, both in the workplace and in our such as the former Scottish Information
daily lives. Commissioner, believe that the time may have
come for a, “radical rethink of FOI”.5

2 Central Statistics Office, Internet Usage by Households 2022, https://bit.ly/3adN1si

3 FOIA Is Broken: A Report, Staff Report, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform,
114th Congress, January 2016 https://bit.ly/3x7bt7R
4 Kwoka, M. B. (2021). Saving the Freedom of Information Act. Cambridge University Press. https://bit.ly/3zcRNRk
5 Scottish Information Commissioner, “Proactive Publication: Time for a Rethink” (2017) https://bit.ly/3x3vJWu
 7

One particularly notable development in the research calls this assumption into question,
intervening years has been the rise of the open and suggests that for transparency policies to
government movement, and related open be effective, information should be released
data initiatives. Where FOI takes a reactive in a way that can easily be contextualised,
approach to release, open data emphasises the understood and acted upon by its intended
routine publication of valuable information, audience.10
and is purported to, “[shift] the relationship
between state and citizen from a monitorial In addition, the use of blanket transparency
to a collaborative one, centered around using measures has been questioned, with proposals
information to solve problems together”6 for more targeted approaches, which rather
than treating transparency as an end in itself,
A number of scholars argue that this seek to use disclosure as a means to achieve
development supersedes FOI laws in significant specific policy objectives.11
ways, and some advocates speculate that
it may even come to supplant request- While there remains a broad consensus that
based systems altogether.7 Others are more the ability to request records from public
circumspect, and note that in practice open bodies remains an important feature of state
government initiatives have tended to lead to transparency, proposals for improvement have
a “realism”, “that data disclosure per se would included greater obligations to undertake
not lead to proper levels of transparency, proactive publication of information, creating
accountability, anti-corruption, and the other alternative means for routine access,
expected effects.”8 particularly to personal information, and more
closely adapting the FOI mechanism to suit
Another important strand of recent research particular use-cases.
looks at what makes transparency policies
effective, emphasising that information must
be made available in ways that are accessible
and comprehensible to individuals and groups
that might make use of that information.9

It is often assumed that simply making available

ever greater amounts of information will
inevitably lead to greater public understanding
of the workings of public bodies and hence
higher levels of trust. However, more recent

6 Noveck, B. S. (2017). Rights-Based and Tech-Driven: Open Data, Freedom of Information, and the Future of Government
Transparency. Yale Human Rights and Development Law Journal, 19, 1–46. https://bit.ly/3t8wTie
7 Noveck, B. S. (2016). Is Open Data the Death of FOIA? The Yale Law Journal Forum, 273. https://bit.ly/3abcDpM
8 Matheus, R.; Janssen, M. (2020). A Systematic Literature Study to Unravel Transparency Enabled by Open Government
Data: The Window Theory. Public Performance and Management Review, 43(3), 503–534. https://bit.ly/3x70I5m
9 Fung, A. (2013). Infotopia: Unleashing the democratic power of transparency. Politics and Society, 41(2), 183–212.
https://bit.ly/3PRNOQ1
10 Fung, A., Graham, M., &; Weil, D. (2007). Full Disclosure: The Perils and Promise of Transparency. Cambridge University
Press. https://bit.ly/3wYmMOl
11 Kwoka, M. B., & DuPey, B. (2021). Targeted Transparency as Regulation. Florida State University Law Review, 48, 389.
https://bit.ly/3x3aKmU
 8

In the context of this review, general • Any activity in public entities must be
overarching questions may include:- done in a way that is conscious of the
most effective and efficient possible
• What is the purpose of FOI, and how use of state resources. Any proposed
does it fit with other accountability, developments or changes to the FOI
governance and access to information system must adhere to this principle.
measures? Should FOI exist separately
and be demarcated from open data and
These high level issues may be seen as feeding
other open government initiatives, or
in to the themes identified below.
insofar as possible incorporate and act
as an umbrella for related transparency
measures?

• Is transparency an end in itself, or should

the emphasis of FOI and other measures
be more clearly targeted towards
attaining particular policy outcomes?
What is the impact of FOI on decision
making?

• FOI deals with access to records. This

approach is administratively workable
where a clearly defined set of records
can be identified coming within scope
of the request, however in and of itself
may not be adequate in meeting the
goal of greater transparency and public
understanding of the workings of state
entities.

• FOI is designed as a “one size fits

all” system. However, FOI in Ireland
applies to a large and diverse set of
bodies and can be used by requesters
for significantly different purposes. In
particular, there may be a disconnect
between the FOI model, which was
designed based on the assumptions
of paper-based administration in
government entities, and the reality of
handling large volumes of requests for
personal information, especially in the
health sector.
 9

The Review
Process
The review is an open, collaborative process, In relation to each of themes, we would
intended to allow all interested parties to have ask respondents to consider addressing the
their say on the future of FOI and transparency following key points in their response:-
policy in Ireland. This consultation is informed
by an initial scoping exercise that was • Do you agree with this direction?
undertaken in late 2021, further details are set
out below. • How would you see it being implemented
and with what level of priority?
In addition, the Department of Public
Expenditure and Reform is undertaking a • What risks, drawbacks and barriers to
number of other strands of information implementation do you see?
gathering alongside this consultation, including
a further survey of FOI requesters and decision
makers, a review of international best practices However, you should feel free to make
and a project aimed at estimating the cost of comment as you see fit on any aspect of the
the FOI system to the exchequer. consultation document, or FOI practice more
generally. You should not feel obliged to
Further details may be found in the Review comment on every theme or issue identified,
Roadmap at the following link:- https://www. please feel free to provide a response on only
gov.ie/en/policy-information/2e3d5-freedom- those issues that are of interest or concern to
of-information-updates-from-the-department- you if you wish.
of-public-expenditure-and-reform/
As will be outlined further below, some of the
themes go towards the longer term direction
Responding to this consultation of travel for FOI policy, while others are aimed
at more immediate and granular updates to the
This consultation document aims to open a legislation. We would be grateful to hear from
discussion around various themes that have you in relation to all of the issues raised.
been identified through the initial public
consultation and review of international best It is proposed that submissions to this
practices. consultation will be published in full on the
Department’s website. If you feel that there
The themes identified are broad, and should are particular reasons why some or all of your
allow for a good deal of scope to raise any submission should not be published, please
issues that may be of concern. However if you notify us when making your return.
wish to raise an issue that does not obviously
fall within one of these themes, you should not You may make your submission by post to:
hesitate to do so. FOI Central Policy Unit,
Department of Public Expenditure and Reform,
If you have already responded to the scoping 3rd Floor,
phase of the review, please be assured that 7-9 Merrion Row,
your views will feed in to the final report. Dublin 2.
However, if you wish to provide further or D02 V223
more detailed submissions at this point of the
process, we would encourage you to do so. or by email to: [email protected]
We would be grateful for your responses by If you have any questions or queries, please do
close of business on 12th August. not hesitate to contact the FOI Central Policy
Unit by email at [email protected]
 10

Scoping
Consultation
The first phase of this review process was a The majority of responses to the online survey
public consultation on scope. This offered came from public servants, amounting to
an opportunity for stakeholders to identify 73% of the total. 302 online responses were
in general terms issues of concern to them. received from individuals outside the public
It took the form of an online survey and sector. While individuals were invited to
brief written submissions around three key choose a category that best described their
questions: what should be addressed in the position, most chose to identify as “other”,
review, what parts of the current system are which places a certain limitation on the ability
working well, and respondents’ views of the to carry out a detailed analysis of these returns.
purpose of the FOI system.
Fig 9: Individual Respondents’ Self-Identification
Breakdown of responses
1,171 responses in total were received,
consisting of 1,060 returns to the online
survey, 96 written responses from public sector
stakeholders, and 15 written responses from
stakeholder groups outside the public sector.

Fig 8: Breakdown of Scoping Submissions

Academic Journalist

Activist Other

Business Service User

Elected Representative

Public servant
Respondents to the online survey were invited
Individuals to confirm whether or not they had personal
experience of either making or processing FOI
Public body requests. A significant number indicated that
they did not, just over 20% of public servants
Stakeholder organisations and a little over 40% of other respondents.
 11

Overview of scoping responses • A small number of responses may be

The responses to the scoping exercise have seen as reflecting an understanding that
informed the themes identified below. Direct the core purpose of FOI is “monitorial”.
quotes from respondents are included in These submissions tended to question
relation to each of the topics in order to whether there should be any redactions
illustrate the diverse viewpoints that were or exclusions under FOI and emphasised
represented. enforcement.

• A larger group, around 12% of responses,

Further research is ongoing, including an
saw FOI as a support for participatory
additional customer satisfaction survey. The
democracy and “a key part of enabling
outcomes of that process, together with
active citizenship”.
responses to this consultation document, will
be reflected in the final review report. The • A number of submissions referred to
following key themes and features of the the position of adopted people. In the
scoping survey are briefly highlighted by way of 2011 Rotunda judgment,12 the Supreme
overview. Court confirmed that FOI cannot in
most instances confer a right of access
• Many responses placed a strong for adopted people to birth information,
emphasis on the purpose FOI as being insofar as it also consists of the personal
an accountability mechanism. 19% of information of birth parents. However,
the total number of responses referred in order to address the particular
to accountability in one way or another. situation and the right to identity of
adopted people, specific legislation
• Almost 30% of individual respondents
is currently before the Oireachtas
outside the public sector did not identify
that would provide a mechanism for
any elements of the current system that
individuals to access such information
they felt to be working well, or stated
and records.13
that the fact that the system exists
was its only positive feature. Among
the segment of this cohort who did not
have first-hand experience of making
requests, this figure rises to almost 60%.

12 [2011] IESC 26
13 Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022 https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/bills/bill/2022/3/
 12

Structural Issues
The first set of themes seek to explore the
potential for fundamentally updating and Separate out requests made for personal
restructuring the FOI legislation and how public data and environmental information
bodies approach transparency. By their nature, from FOI – these should be handled
they are intended as the opening of a much
longer conversation and process. In terms of
automatically under GDPR and AIE
implementation, it is envisaged that many of respectively.
these themes will take the form of medium to
long-term projects if adopted.

More training provided for staff, and

Streamlining access regimes and related alignment between records management
functions guidance and FOI processing
FOI exists alongside other access mechanisms
of varying scope and purposes, including data
protection subject access requests, access to
information on the environment and open data More clarity in relation to releasing
personal information after considering
The variety of access mechanisms in practice
may give rise to “regulatory arbitrage” or “forum the FOI and GDPR Acts and which Act is
shopping”, which can often involve processing inferior to the other one?
multiple requests under different frameworks.
By their nature, slightly different outcomes
may arise out of requests under different legal
rules. However, often what is at issue in reality Address the need to align information
is access to effectively the same material, such access rights under FOI, GDPR, and the
that handling repeated requests may create an
unwarranted resource drain for public bodies.
AIE Regulations, as in the UK and certain
other European jurisdictions in order
Moreover, the inevitable tension between to reduce the repetitive and inefficient
transparency imperatives and individual privacy use of resources in dealing with multiple
rights can give rise to misunderstandings, both
on the part of public servants and stakeholders. requests for the same information and
A number of returns in the scoping process the confusion arising from different rules
pointed in particular to a lack of clarity on the applying to different requests depending
interaction between data protection and FOI.
upon which access regime has been cited
In addition, where FOI can be seen as a (which may not necessarily be the one
groundbreaking “open government” measure, most beneficial for the requester).
since its introduction it has been joined by a
number of others. It is not necessarily clear
how these can be aligned or brought together
in a more coherent way.
 13

One key theme that arose in the scoping • For example, should the definitions
consultation was a prevalent view of FOI as in the FOI legislation be more closely
an accountability mechanism. In practice, aligned with those found in related legal
however, some scholars note that transparency frameworks, e.g. “personal information”
has at best an “uncertain” relationship with in FOI and “personal data” in data
accountability.14 Aside from FOI, a broad protection?
range of substantive audit, regulatory and
complaint-handling processes exist to ensure • How can FOI operate more effectively to
accountability in public bodies. support other, related functions, such as
open data?
Sometimes individuals may not be aware of the • Often FOI is used in circumstances
existence of complaint or Ombudsman type where an individual is in some way
mechanisms, which would be more suitable dissatisfied in their dealings with a
to their needs, while public bodies can tend public body. How should FOI align with
to feel that the “motive blind” nature of FOI complaint, Ombudsman and related
prevents an engagement with the requester mechanisms?
to understand their aims and handle the issue
appropriately. • How could a more joined-up and
coherent organisational approach across
Issues to be addressed in relation to this topic all the relevant obligations and legal
may include: frameworks best be developed? Is
there a need for a defined information
• How does the right of access provided governance and access function?
by FOI align with or complement other
accountability mechanisms?

• Is it possible or desirable for FOI to be

more closely aligned with other access
mechanisms? Should the long-term
aim be to consolidate requests for
information from public bodies in a
single mechanism insofar as possible?

• If so, how might this best be achieved,

bearing in mind the fact that other
relevant regimes may derive from
European law?

14 Fox, J. (2007). The uncertain relationship between transparency and accountability. Development in Practice, 17(4–5),
663–671. https://bit.ly/3wTp80U
 14

Transparency by design I feel FOI is dated

The concept of transparency by design is
related to and builds upon the archetype of
“privacy by design”, as seen in data protection
and privacy law and practice.15 It is based on All information that could be released
the understanding that working methods and under FOI should be published
digital/ICT systems should embody and enable
policy goals and legal requirements from the
automatically
design phase.16

Embedding transparency tasks in the

Improving the technology available to all
work processes and supporting digital/ICT
infrastructure of public bodies, rather than public servants in administration of FOIs
as an “ex post” requirement, may be a means to increase efficiency and reduce time
of ensuring better outcomes, facilitating spent processing-better search tools using
straightforward routine access to information
held by public entities, and also reducing the Artificial Intelligence, redaction software
administrative burden of compliance. available to all - design and roll-out
bespoke IT FOI admin system
Generally the focus of “transparency by design”
scholarship to date has been on algorithms and
AI systems. However, other jurisdictions have
begun to adopt design-based approaches as Since the FOI Act was first enacted,
a matter of policy, for example when meeting
transparency obligations in the context of
there has been significant advances in
procuring services,17 or more generally,18 as technology to enable citizens to access
well as setting out statutory rules for the their own records through electronic
design and procurement of digital/ICT systems channels. Where it is possible for
so as to facilitate transparency.19
requesters to access their own personal
records online, it is suggested that a
provision be included in Section 15 that
an FOI body may refuse a record on
administrative grounds where the records
15 See e.g. Hartzog, W. (2018). Privacy’s Blueprint: The
Battle to Control the Design of New Technologies.
requested are already available to the
Harvard University Press. https://bit.ly/3GFcOWn requester through an alternative means.
16 Koulu, R. (2021). Crafting Digital Transparency:
Implementing Legal Values into Algorithmic Design.
Critical Analysis of Law, 8(1), 81–100. https://bit.
ly/3M5UGGw
17 UK Information Commissioner’s Office (2015).
Transparency in outsourcing: a roadmap. https://bit.
ly/3Nbn0Zf
18 Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner.
(2021). Enhancing Victoria’s FOI Culture to be Open by
Design. https://bit.ly/3zrTfzB
19 e.g. Massachusetts Freedom of Information Act, 950
CMR 32.07(e)
 15

Existing legal frameworks already place Issues to be addressed in relation to this topic
obligations on public sector organisations may include:
to “design in” transparency when processing
personal data,20 and to structure datasets in • As a medium to long-term goal, what is
a way that is, “open by design and default”21 the potential of adopting “transparency
While “privacy by design” is based around by design” as a requirement for work
a set of established basic principles,22 some processes and supporting digital/ICT
researchers have begun to propose similar systems?
principles for transparency.23
• What might a “transparency by design”
approach look like in the Irish civil and
public sector?

• What legal or policy frameworks would

be necessary to support design-based
approaches to transparency?

• What might principles for “transparency

by design” contain?

20 Article 29 Working Party. (2018). Guidelines on transparency under Regulation 2016/679. https://bit.ly/3M5W6AQ
21 S.I. No. 376/2021 - European Union (Open Data and Re-use of Public Sector Information) Regulations 2021, Regulation 7
22 Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (2009) Privacy by Design: The 7 Foundational Principles.
https://bit.ly/3tcYsaj
23 Matheus, R., Janssen, M., & Janowski, T. (2021). Design principles for creating digital transparency in government.
Government Information Quarterly, 38(1). https://bit.ly/3x7ErDs
 16

Proactive publication FOI needs to be complemented by

The low costs and wide reach of online increased and routine publication of
publication is not something that could even
have been imagined when the FOI legislation
information by government.
was first introduced. There is a strong
argument for increased publication of material
by public bodies, in a manner that is accessible
so as to promote greater understanding of
Encourage bodies to publish more
the activities of the public sector, as well as material without FOI being needed to
providing information that will be useful and access the information
valuable to stakeholders on a day-to day basis.

The FOIA 2014 took an important step towards

driving proactive publication, through the Matter of course publishing: FOI requests
introduction of the FOI Publication Scheme. should not exist as each Public Bodies
While this has had positive impacts, including
through the publication of past requests, overall Publication Scheme should be updated to
the outcome cannot be seen as transformative. include all information recorded
The publication scheme makes it mandatory
for public bodies to identify and publish
information in certain categories, but this may The presumption of disclosure and the
have become something of a static “tick-box” automatic and open publication of official/
exercise, rather than a dynamic means for
expanding the amount of information published
government/state information
on a routine basis by public bodies. On the
other hand, recent years have seen an overall
expansion of routine publication in the public Ways to encourage bodies to publish more
sector, however this has taken place largely
independently of the FOI framework. material without FOI being needed to
access the information
Some jurisdictions take an approach that
specifies categories of records that are deemed
to be “open access information”24 and are
subject to mandatory publication. However, Open data by default. Publication of
such an approach would arguably also require a minutes etc as standard.
review or enforcement mechanism to support
it.

It was assumed when introducing the The principle should be to publish as

publication scheme mechanism that greater
proactive publication would inevitably lead to
much information as possible and by so
fewer FOI requests. In practice, however, it doing reduce the need for FOIs

24 e.g. New South Wales Freedom of Information Act, Part 3

 17

is commonly observed by public bodies that Issues to be addressed in relation to this topic
publication often leads directly to the resource may include:
burden of further FOI requests for background
material, thereby negating any efficiency • How can we build upon the publication
gains and acting as a disincentive to taking a scheme mechanism in the 2014 FOIA to
proactive approach. It could be considered promote the greatest possible level of
whether the use of incentives might be an proactive publication of material?
effective way by which to encourage greater
openness through the ongoing publication of • Should the FOI legislation be more
up to date material. prescriptive about the types of
information that must be published?
Could particular categories be identified
that should be prioritised because of
high explanatory value in relation to the
activities of public bodies, or high value
and usefulness to the public?

• How would any such moves be

supported by way of review or
enforcement mechanisms, bearing
in mind the practical reality that FOI
applies to approximately 500 diverse
bodies?

• What kinds of incentives might

effectively promote publication on a
much wider basis than seen presently?

• Section 15(1)(d) of the 2014 FOIA

already provides for a refusal of an FOI
request where information is in the
public domain. However, in practice the
interaction between “information” and
“records” can be difficult to navigate.
Could this provision be modified,
expanded or clarified by way of statutory
guidance?
 18

Informal release The entire act could be overhauled to

There may be reason to believe at this point simplify it, and make it more accessible to
of the development of FOI and transparency
policy in Ireland that the cultural and
the general public, rather than being the
administrative impact of the formal FOI request preserve of journalists
mechanism could be approaching its limits.

The FOI request model may fairly be seen as

rigid, technical and legalistic. International That requests can be handled outside of
scholars have noted that the request model FOI, which is a process that saves time
is an, “inherently adversarial tactic”,25 which for both the journalist and the FOI unit,
may in and of itself drive a “culture of
adversarialism”26 or “culture of suspicion”. 27 particularly where the record in question
is specific and easily identifiable. This
FOI quickly became the central pillar of state avenue should be encouraged more in any
transparency policy, and often is the default
mechanism that individuals are directed to cultural shakeup of FOI
when seeking information from public bodies.
Moreover, recourse to the formal FOI request
mechanism may be viewed as a “safety blanket”
by public sector staff, who may be concerned
More emphasis should be placed on
about compliance with other regimes such as providing information other than by
data protection and the Official Secrets Act means of FOI
when releasing information.

In the intervening quarter century, the release

of information from public bodies has become A more collaborative approach by all
the norm, and it may be possible to make parties should be encouraged i.e. by the
this routine activity less administratively
burdensome for both requesters as well as requestor, decision maker and OIC would
organisations. A more collaborative approach improve efficiency and possibly lead to
may have significant benefits both for requester more favourable outcome for all.
satisfaction and also the most efficient possible
use of resources.

Less bureaucracy leading to faster

outcomes

25 See note 6
26 Pozen, D. E. (2017). Freedom of information beyond the
Freedom of Information Act. University of Pennsylvania
FOI is necessary because public bodies
Law Review, 165(5), 1097–1158. https://bit.ly/3NSB9ux are so risk adverse and so reticent to
27 O’Neill, O. (2002). A Question of Trust: The BBC Reith
Lectures 2002. Cambridge University Press. https://bit. give people information. It should not be
ly/38H431G; Meijer, A. (2009). Understanding modern
transparency. International Review of Administrative necessary to use the Act.
Sciences, 75(2), 255–269. https://bit.ly/3M7vjUA
 19

Some commentators tend to emphasise Issues to be addressed in relation to this topic

cultural factors within organisations as a core may include:
explanation for perceived implementation
issues around FOI, a view that was also • How can we make the FOI process
reflected to an extent in the scoping returns. more collaborative, as well as less
However, it may also be considered that the bureaucratic, formal and administratively
formal and legalistic structure of FOI itself onerous, while also ensuring that
may act as a barrier to greater openness, seen important rights and interests in
to be defined by “box-ticking” and “one way information held by state entities are
communication, rather than real answerability appropriately protected?
in effective dialogue”.28
• As well as a providing for formal
One possible approach seen internationally, requests, can FOI legislation or guidance
notably in Australia and New Zealand, is provide an enabling framework to allow
supporting and encouraging “informal release”, bodies to routinely release non-exempt
sometimes with a statutory basis.29 Such information as appropriate, without
measures clearly authorise and encourage the need to go through the full FOI
staff of public bodies to release information request process? How could this be
routinely without the formality of a full FOI supported as a matter of both law and
request process. administrative practice?

• What supports would be required to give

public servants the confidence to release
information routinely without the need
to have such frequent recourse to the
formal FOI mechanism?

• How can public bodies be supported

and incentivised to make the release of
information to interested parties a core
and routine part of day-to-day work,
rather than an add-on or compliance
requirement?

28 Hood, C. (2010). Accountability and transparency: Siamese twins, matching parts, awkward couple? West European
Politics, 33(5), 989–1009. https://bit.ly/3GM260A
29 E.g. New South Wales, Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009, section 8
 20

Managing the increased volume of “records” Given the huge increases in the volume
Terms such as “infoglut”30 and “data smog”31 of records that exist due to email systems
have been used by commentators to describe
the difficulties in extracting useful knowledge
etc in the last 7 years, the timelines for
from the ever expanding amount of information processing can be extremely challenging
that is created and stored in contemporary for organisations working with limited
technologically-driven societies and
workplaces.
staffing resources, where FOI requests
may only be a small part of someone’s
In practical terms, the amount of “records” overall post, numerous legacy systems and
generated on a daily basis across the civil and multiple locations and sites.
public sector goes far beyond what could have
been imagined when the request mechanism
was first designed and implemented. At a
certain point, blanket and indiscriminate Resources required to find all relevant
transparency mechanisms such as the FOI
request may be subject to diminishing data. This requires searching through
returns, as it is questionable whether much numerous systems and potentially files of
of the material coming within scope is of any 100s of people
significant evidential value in terms of ensuring
that the public are informed and bodies are
accountable for their actions.
Volumes of data sought and situations
The academic Cass Sunstein identifies
where organisation does not have the tools
two distinct types of transparency, “input
transparency”, which relates to preliminary to carry out in-depth searches, covering
matters feeding in to a decision or action, and archived material hard copy and digital
“output transparency” which relates to the copies.
decision itself, as well as information such as
statistics or audits concerning outcomes. He
argues that there is a case for a significant
expansion of routine disclosure in relation Record management and how it crosses
to the latter, while the case in relation to the
former is less compelling.32
over with FOI – chaff/extraneous records

Transitioning to a sustainable model

which can be implemented by all relevant
public bodies, given the resource
30 Andrejevic, M. (2013). Infoglut: How Too Much
Information Is Changing the Way We Think and Know.
challenges associated with search,
Routledge. https://bit.ly/3NSDENr compilation of records.
31 Shenk, D. (1997) Data Smog: Surviving the Information
Glut. Harper Collins. https://bit.ly/395xavD
32 Sunstein, C. R. (2018). Output Transparency vs. Input
Transparency. in Troubling Transparency (pp. 187–205).
Columbia University Press. https://bit.ly/3NQEQ3x
 21

Other research has focussed on what makes • Given the challenges posed by the vast
transparency policies effective, taking the expansion in the amount of information
view that “targeted” approaches are desirable generated by public bodies, should the
in order to drive accountability to bring about FOI mechanisms aim to provide better
positive policy outcomes,33 and that policies quality of disclosure and transparency
should be, “design[ed] for comprehension” so by focusing efforts on the most valuable
that disclosures can readily be understood information?
and contextualised by the public.34 These
approaches have in common an understanding • Currently, in principle FOI applies
of transparency that goes beyond an abstract equally to all records held by a public
goal, and instead proposes measures as body. Should it instead seek to
instrumental and directed towards achieving identify categories of particularly high
particular policy outcomes. value material that warrant particular
treatment, such as mandatory proactive
As noted above, scoping work revealed publication?
a significant emphasis on FOI as an • In addition, how could the FOI
accountability measure. In order to ensure that mechanism, be more effectively targeted
the legislation can continue to operate in an in order to ensure the most efficient
efficient and workable manner, there may be deployment of resources?
a case for a greater focus on the accountablity
in terms of substantive decisions and other • Does this require a reconsideration of
actions of public bodies that affect the rights the purpose of FOI, to move beyond
and interests of individuals. treating access to records as an end
in itself, but instead as a means of
Many countries in their FOI laws specify classes bringing about policy goals such as
of “public records” or “official documents”,35 ensuring accountability, enabling
which have a particular standing or importance, citizen engagement and supporting
and to which differing transparency participatory democracy?
requirements may apply, for example may be
subject to mandatory publication, as outlined
above.

33 See notes 9-11

34 Fung et al, Full Disclosure, note 10
35 e.g. France, Finland, Sweden, Denmark
 22

Incremental
Reforms
The majority of the issues identified in the
scoping process and initial stakeholder Better communication with the requester
engagement may be seen as incremental
in nature, insofar as they do not aim to
- once the FOI goes in they tend to hear
significantly alter the structure of the FOI nothing till they get files or a refusal
legislation as it exists, but rather to update
certain features and to address issues that
are seen to have arisen in practice. These
represent potential updates to FOI legislation The culture of contact between the
and practice that could be implemented in the requesters and those processing the
short to medium term. requests - I think this can help people find
While in general the issues raised tend to out what they want
coalesce around a small number of key themes,
many of the issues identified are particularly
technical and granular. A selection are
presented below for comment.
Questions too open – queries looking for
all and sundry
Improving the request process
The FOI system as it stands is based on
requesting records. In order to operate
Less picky about wording - it should be
effectively it requires what has been termed, easier for people to seek information more
“prerequisite knowledge”; that the requester generally, and not to have nitpicking over
should know what they are looking for.36 It
follows from the request-based nature of the
wording as a core part of the process
FOI system that where a request is vague,
unclear, unfocused or is not addressed
specifically to the task of seeking records, sub- Take the request in the spirit not the letter
optimal outcomes are delivered.

While the timeframes for FOI processing are

tight, in general feedback from all sectors in the If you know the specific record you’re
scoping consultation saw this as a net positive.
However, questions in relation to where and looking for most, though not all, bodies
how extensions of time can be applied to a will locate it without fuss
request arose frequently from both requesters
and public bodies.

We’re not trying to waste people’s time,

we need direction if a request is genuinely
too broad.
36 Kreimer, S. F. (2008). The Freedom of Information
Act and the Ecology of Transparency. University of
Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law, 1012–1079.
https://bit.ly/3tbuzXX If people aren’t available to check things
or there is going to be a delay and it means
that I will get the documents, I’d prefer to
wait and for bodies to take extra time.
 23

These reforms would focus in particular on the • The current arrangements for extensions
early stages of the process in order to ensure of time were identified in scoping on
that only clear and focused requests for records various grounds as requiring further
are accepted in to the system. They would also examination.
aim to clear up ambiguities or situations not
• Is there scope for a shorter period to
explicitly addressed in the current legislation
apply to requests where both requester
that have been observed in practice as giving
and body agree that this is appropriate
rise to issues.
and the number of records involved is
small and precisely identified?
Steps for consideration may include:
• Conversely, is there scope for a longer
• How to clarify the standard for a valid period to apply where both requester
request? and body agree that this is appropriate
and the request would otherwise fall to
• How can further engagement between
be refused under section 15(1)(c) of the
requesters and public bodies be
Act? For example, this may be helpful if
encouraged in order to assist them
a person wants a full file relating to them
in meeting their objectives with the
and it would not be possible to process
most efficient possible use of public
the entire set of information within four
resources? While the legislation
weeks.
provides an important safeguard in
ensuring that a requester’s motive
cannot be a ground for refusing a
request, this may be interpreted in
an overly broad way by public bodies
and act as an impediment to effective
collaboration with requesters.

• Given the tight timeframes involved in

processing FOI requests, slow or non-
responses to queries by requesters can
be problematic. In Canada, some FOI
laws provide that where a requester
does not respond to correspondence in a
certain time the request is automatically
deemed abandoned – however where
this happens there would be nothing
to stop the requester submitting the
request again.37

• Should we improve and clarify

the standards and procedures for
administrative refusal of FOI requests
where requests are too large or will
significantly disrupt a public body?

37 e.g. New Brunswick Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, section 12
 24

Fees and charges The intention of fees should be clarified

The issues of fees and charges attracted and the charges should be applied on that
significant interest in the scoping stage of the
review. Views were on a continuum from calls
basis
for the reintroduction of application fees to the
abolition of all fees.

Since the outset of FOI, normally no fee

The current system is somewhat
whatsoever has applied to requests for personal cumbersome and administration-heavy for
information. This represents approximately FOI bodies
60% of annual requests in recent years. From
2014, the application fee for non-personal
requests was abolished. This means that the
only remaining fees are for search and retrieval Section 27 is as structured a cause of an
of large amounts of records and for seeking “administrative burden” of questionable
reviews of decisions.
value in any cost - benefit scenario and
It is apparent that the model for applying of ought to be overhauled.
search and retrieval fees in particular is highly
technical, difficult to interpret and implement,
including very tight time limits. This was seen
in scoping as a cause of frustration both to I would like to suggest that a small fee be
requesters and FOI Bodies. returned to the system - something small,
While many of the issues raised in the
like €5. Just enough to make a journalist
scoping consultation by way of justification actually think about the request before
for application fees go to substantive issues sending it, but not enough to be a real
that tend to cause poor outcomes both for impediment.
requesters and FOI bodies, e.g. unclear or
unfocused requests, it is not obvious that
charging a fee is the appropriate means of
addressing this. The ten day requirement in which to issue
Issues to be addressed in relation to this topic a fees estimate can be very limited if there
may include: are a high volume of potential records
which need to be initially examined for
• What is the purpose and rationale for
applying fees? Are fees a suitable and
potential relevance to the request.
proportionate means of achieving these
goals?

• Is it appropriate for search and retrieval Cost wise it is affordable

fees to be refunded where records are
ultimately refused, even though the
chargeable search and retrieval work has
been carried out in full? Cost should be nil
 25

• Should application fees be refunded

where a reviewer subsequently disagrees
with the original decision? What would
be the purpose of such a move?

• Where the OIC has issued decisions

modifying the original decisions of
public bodies, approximately 60% do
not “overturn” the decision per se, but
vary it by substituting different reasons
or directing release of some but not all
further records. At what point would a
refund be appropriate?

• Is the strict two week timeframe

in which to issue a fee estimate
counterproductive? For example, does
it cause estimates and deposit requests
to be issued hastily in order to meet the
deadline? If so, how can any changes
be balanced with the need to ensure
prompt responses?
 26

Designating FOI Bodies Widening scope to cover any body in

The 2014 FOI Act introduced a new approach receipt of public funds insofar as being
for determining whether FOI applies to a body.
Where previously the legislation had contained
accountable for how that money was
a definitive list of all the bodies that were spent.
subject to FOI, this has now been replaced by a
set of criteria.38

If an issue arises where a body takes the view FOI [should be] extended to non-public
that FOI does not apply to it, but a requester bodies significantly funded by the State
disagrees, the matter can be referred to the
OIC and ultimately to the Minister for Public
Expenditure and Reform for a determination.
Funding for Community/Voluntary
In practice, however, significant difficulties have through public funds are for very specific
arisen with the operation of this approach. By
way of example, it is now impossible to compile purposes … and cannot be used for any
a comprehensive list of bodies to which FOI other purpose, like funding a FOI Officer.
applies. Instances may have arisen where
bodies have acted on an assumption that the
legislation applied to them, where in fact they
did not meet the criteria. Any purported FOI Additional safeguards for regulatory
decisions issued in such circumstances are bodies around investigative or
highly problematic.
disciplinary processes required in the
In resolving disputes relating to whether FOI public interest
applies, both the OIC and the Department
have noted particular difficulties in assessing
whether section 6(1)(f) applies in the context
of comparatively informal FOI processes, Schedule 1, Part 1 exemption applying to
which involves a finding on whether an entity records originating with partially included
is “directly or indirectly controlled” by an FOI body but retained by/or forwarded to
body. Arguably, if an entity is controlled by
a public body in a meaningful sense, then other bodies
its records should in any event be accessible
by making a request to the public body
concerned.39
The structure of Schedule 1 Part 1 is
difficult. Also, particular issues arise
such as, for example ... the status of staff
members of the entity concerned; whether
38 FOIA 2014, section 6(1) they are staff of an FOI body for purposes
39 FOIA 2014, section 2(5) provides that “… a reference
to records held by an FOI body includes a reference to of personal information and for the
records under the control of that body”; see also CPU
Notice 9 in relation to Board Papers held by FOI Bodies purposes section 35(2)
https://bit.ly/3NMm6lN
 27

Some agencies are excluded from FOI or Issues to be addressed around this topic may
part-included in relation to some functions. include:
However, there may be a lack of consistency
to the approach, with some outliers around • Is there a case for a return to a definitive
certain types of functions, such as investigatory list of FOI Bodies? If so, how might the
and Ombudsman type bodies. transition be managed?

A number of submissions to the scoping • If the present model is to be retained, are

process argued that as a matter of principle updates to the criteria required?
FOI should be extended to all entities • Are the rules that extend FOI to capture
receiving “public funding”. However, often records held by contractors or service
what is thought of as “public funding” in reality providers sufficient and fit for purpose?
consists of a public body procuring a service Could these be strengthened or clarified
from a private entity. Where this is the case, by way of legislation or guidance?
the current FOI model provides that records
relating to the service can in principle already • Given that the FOI request model is
be accessed by making a request to the public onerous and technical, particularly for
body concerned.40 small organisations, is there scope for a
more tailored approach for bodies that
are not subject to FOI in their own right,
but do receive money from bodies that
are subject to FOI? What might this
look like? Is it more appropriate for the
transparency obligation to fall on the
entity receiving funds?

• Or is it preferable to place the obligation

on the body providing the funding to
put suitable transparency measures in
place and where appropriate to handle
requests for records?

40 Freedom of Information Act 2014, section 11(9)

 28

Role of the Information Commissioner

A number of submissions to the scoping survey
Strengthen enforcement powers of OIC
emphasised enforcement by the Information
Commissioner. Some respondents called for
the imposition of “sanctions” or “penalties” in
The review should also address the
relation to the FOI process.
operation and powers of the Information
As matters stand, there is little evidence Commissioner and the effectiveness of
of widespread non-compliance with FOI their current operation. For example, the
obligations, nor of a failure to engage with the
OIC’s processes or to adhere to its directions. Commissioner should be in a position to
The Commissioner has extensive powers at properly enforce decisions and set wide
section 45 to demand access to documents or precedent for organisations which are
information, and if required may seek a court
order mandating compliance with its decisions,
subject to FOI.
although to date bodies have complied with the
Commissioner’s directions without the need in
any case to seek such an order.
The current Act is not being properly
A number of respondents to the scoping enforced and there are no repercussions
consultation referred to what was seen as a for bodies who routinely fail to comply
lack of consistency in decisions or perceived with it.
failure to follow previous OIC findings. This
issue is not necessarily straightforward, as
while OIC decisions may set out principles
for applying particular exemptions, decision Although OIC cases are relatively rare,
makers must treat each request on a case by
case basis according to the contents of the they are an enormous time drain when
specific records concerned and the particular they arise and regularly impact other
circumstances. It follows that usually past work.
decisions cannot in themselves be taken as
determinative of a request for different records,
to which different considerations may apply.
The OIC should consider a public
A particular issue in emphasising enforcement
information campaign to actively
by the OIC is one of resources. Approximately
500 bodies are subject to FOI. Therefore, an promote the use of access to information
enforcement-centred approach would certainly legislation and inform people about how
require significantly greater expenditure and to exercise their rights (as happens in
staffing.
Scotland).
Issues to be addressed around this topic may
include:

• Does the statutory framework for the

The review should examine the remit
Commissioner’s reviews need to be and functions of both DPER and the
updated? Information Commissioner as drivers of
• Should the Commissioner’s role evolve to best practice and consistency.
support other changes to the approach
to FOI and transparency?
 29

Abuse of FOI A better system needs to be in place for

A common concern raised by public sector frivolous and vexatious, and for requests
stakeholders in scoping was around abuse of
the FOI process. In practice, this might involve
which are trying to abuse the FOI system
individuals using FOI as a means of harassing to deal with complaints or disputes that
staff of a public body, or as a way of indefinitely requesters have with public bodies… there
keeping open a dispute or personal issue with
a public body that would otherwise have been
are frequent requesters who use FOI as a
finalised. means to disrupt an office/organisation.
A better system for dealing with abusive
While it should be acknowledged that requests or aggressive requesters needs to be in
of this nature represent only a very small
fraction of the requests received annually place.
by public bodies, they are by their nature
disproportionately burdensome. This often has
a knock-on effect on other requesters.
Currently there is a lack of clarity on
Moreover, where the protections against terminology such as vexatious and
such issues are seen within FOI Bodies to be frivolous. This makes it difficult for
ineffective, this poses a significant reputational
risk to the integrity of the FOI system as a
institutions to determine if a request falls
whole. within the category.

Issues to be addressed under this topic may

include:
Vexatious & frivolous requests needs
• Should the language and scope of more definition/stricter classification
section 15(1)(g) of the legislation be
clarified? For example, other FOI laws
refer to “abuse of process” to describe
the kinds of issues that may arise.41 [There should be a] clear and transparent
reason for using “frivolous and vexatious”
• In other jurisdictions, the Information
Commissioner equivalent can give a
as a blanket reason for refusal
public body permission to refuse to
process requests from a particular
person or persons where this is justified
in the circumstances.42 A declaration of
These concepts are interpreted
this nature may be limited to particular via general principles of statutory
bodies, or subject matter, and can also be interpretation and how they’ve been
time limited. analysed at common law. Would greater
• Were a mechanism of this nature to be clarity in the legislation in plain English
introduced, what protections would be be helpful on these issues?
required to ensure that it is only applied
where required? How would the process
be structured procedurally?

41 Canadian Federal Access to Information Act, s. 6.1 (1);

Australian Federal Freedom of Information Act, s.89L
42 e.g. Connecticut Freedom of Information Act, Sec.
1-206(5); Australian Federal Freedom of Information Act,
s. 89K
Tithe an Rialtas. Sráid Mhuirfean Uacht,
Baile Átha Cliath 2, D02 R583, Éire
Government Buildings, Upper Merrion Street,
Dublin 2, D02 R583, Ireland

T:+353 1 676 7571

@IRLDeptPer
www.per.gov.ie

30