Freedom of Information

The Freedom of Information Act facilitates:

• Access to copies of records held by ATU (that relate to you personally, or any other records created since 21 April 1998).
• The correction of personal records if the information is incorrect, incomplete or misleading.
• The provision of a reason for a decision made by ATU that affects you.

How to submit a request

To submit a request, you must:

• Email foi@atu.ie
• State that you are making the request under the FOI Act
• State clearly the records you require by being as specific as possible
• Provide your contact details

If we cannot determine exactly what information you require, we will contact you as soon as possible to clarify your request.

If you are seeking personal information, you may be required to provide proof of identification.

Processing your request

We will acknowledge your request within 10 working days and provide a copy of the records as soon as possible and generally within 20 working days of having received your request.  If the request is complex or a large volume of records is required, we will inform you within the first month that up to an additional two months may be required.

Refusal to provide records

FOI request can be refused by the Decision Maker in certain circumstances.

Records may be refused on administrative grounds, including where the records don’t exist or can’t be found.  Other exemptions apply because of the type or nature of information requested. Examples of exempt records include:

• Records concerning personal information of another person;
• Information communicated in confidence;
• Records that form part of an internal deliberative process;
• Records which are subject to legal professional privilege;
• Records affecting the functions and negotiations of ATU;
• Commercially sensitive information, etc.

Appeal

You may seek an internal review of a decision to refuse access to records.  The internal review will be carried out by a more senior person than the original Decision Maker. If you are not satisfied with the decision of the Internal Reviewer, you can submit an appeal to the Office of the Information Commissioner.

Fees

There is no Fee for access to copies of your own personal information.  For non-personal records, the following fees apply:

Charges for search, retrieval and copying

You may also be charged for the time the university spends searching and retrieving records at a rate of €20 per hour. If the cost is under €101, no charge applies. If the cost is above this, you will be charged in full, up to a maximum of €500.

If the cost for the time and copying would be greater than €700, ATU can refuse to process your request unless you revise your request to bring the costs down below €700. It is unlikely that you will be charged for personal records unless there is a very large quantity.

FOI Disclosure Log

To view details of all non-personal requests received by the university under FOI and the decisions made in response to those requests, please see the FOI Disclosure Log

More information

Information from the FOI Central Policy Unit (DPER)

Information from the Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC)

Publication Scheme

ATU routinely publishes information via its Publication Scheme without the need for an FOI request.

AIE Regulations 2007-2018

These Regulations facilitate access to environmental information held by ATU. Environmental information is any information on:

• environmental elements (soil, land, water, air)
• factors affecting the elements of the environment (waste, discharges, emissions)
• human health and safety

AIE Requests

To submit a request, you must:

• Email foi@atu.ie
• Mention the AIE Regulations
• State clearly the environmental information you require by being as specific as possible
• Provide your contact details

We will acknowledge your request within 10 working days and provide the information as soon as possible and generally within one month of having received your request.  If the request is complex or a large volume of information is required, we will inform you within the first month that an additional month may be required.

A request for information using the AIE Regulations can be refused in certain circumstances.

You may seek an internal review of a decision to refuse access to information.  If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the internal review, you can submit an appeal to the Office of the Commissioner for Environmental Information (CEI).

Information from the Office of the Commissioner of Environmental Information (OCEI)

Contact

Information Compliance Office
Email:    foi@atu.ie