Freedom of Information Act 2014

The Irish Horse Board is a prescribed body under the Freedom of Information Act 2014. 

The Freedom of Information Act 2014 establishes three statutory rights:

• The right of amendment to records relating to personal information where it is incorrect, incomplete or misleading;
• The right of an individual to access reasons for decisions that affect that person directly;
• The right of access to records held by Government Departments and other public entities that come under the remit of the Act.

Requests for information under the FOI Act should be in writing and sent to:

By Email: foi@ihb.ie

By Post: 

Freedom of Information
Irish Horse Board
The Paddocks,
Kill,
Co. Kildare.
W91 K197.

In making a request under the FOI Act:

• Requests should specify that the request is being made under the Freedom of Information Act 2014;
• The request should be clear enough to enable the Irish Horse Board to identify the record(s) sought;
• The request should specify the time period for which records are being sought;
• Where it is not clear as to what records are being requested, Irish Horse Board staff will endeavour to assist in identifying the relevant records;
• Proof of identity will be sought where the request relates to personal data;
• Assistance for members of the public with special needs will be provided upon request;
• Requests will be acknowledged within two weeks of receipt and a response will be issued, in most cases, within 4 weeks or 20 working days. Where a third party is involved, it may be a further 3 weeks before a response issues. This is to allow the Irish Horse Board to consult with the third party before it makes its decision regarding the third-party information.

Fees

Section 27 of the Freedom of Information Act 2014 provides for fees and charges. No fees apply where the request involves access to your personal records.

The current fees for non-personal requests are:

** Reduced fees apply in respect of medical card holders and their dependants.

Reduced fees also apply in respect of third parties who appeal a decision to release their information on public interest grounds.

Charges for search, retrieval and copying of records* 

There are no fees where you appeal a decision to charge a fee or deposit, or a fee or deposit of a specific amount.

Charges may apply for the time spent finding and retrieving records, and for any copying costs incurred in providing you with the material requested.

Further explanation regarding fees can be found on foi.gov.ie

It is important to note that you may not need to use the Freedom of Information Act to request information from the Irish Horse Board. A large amount of material is already available to the public through the website’s publications.

Exemptions

Any official information can be sought under the Act. However, in certain circumstances it may be necessary for the Irish Horse Board to exempt information from release. Sections 28-41 of the Act outline exemptions which must be considered. Many of the exemptions are not absolute but are subject to a ‘harm’ test and whether it is in the public interest to release or withhold the information requested.

FOI Internal Review Procedures 

If you are not satisfied with the response regarding any aspect of your request for information (for example, refusal of information, refusal of access, or charges) you can have the decision examined.

If you have not received a reply within 4 weeks of your initial application, this is deemed a refusal of your request and you can seek to have the decision re-examined. 

The internal review of an FOI decision is carried out by a more senior member of staff within the Irish Horse Board, and the review decision must be made within 3 weeks.

An application for an internal review of a decision should be addressed to the FOI Unit.

FOI Appeals to the Office of the Information Commissioner

If you are still not satisfied with the decision, you have a right to appeal to the Information Commissioner.

The Information Commissioner investigates complaints of non-compliance with FOI legislation and generally promotes a freedom of information culture in the public service.

When appealing to the Information Commissioner you should address your appeal to:

Office of the Information Commissioner, 6 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2, D02 W773

 Opening Hours: 9.15 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday

Tel: +353 (0)1 639 5689

Homepage: http://www.oic.ie

Contact Form: http://www.oic.ie/contact/

Email: info@oic.ie