Collection
Freedom of Information (FOI)
From Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO)
Published on
Last updated on
From Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO)
Published on
Last updated on
You can make a Freedom of Information (FOI) request through this website for records held by the Standards in Public Office Commission.
The Act can be found by clicking on the following link: http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2014/en/act/pub/0030/index.html
The Freedom of Information Act 2014 (FOI Act 2014) came into effect on 14 October 2014, with some sections coming into effect on other dates. The Act provides you with the right to:
Since 21 April 2018, you may seek access to personal information held on you no matter when the file was created. You can also ask for access to records created after 21 April 1998 which contain non-personal information.
The Act allows for the release of records held by the public body. Records about the general work of the Standards Commission is covered by the FOI Act.
Not all records have to be released. There may be exemptions – each request is assessed to decide if the record may be lawfully released.
Further details are available in the Commission’s FOI Publication Scheme. For information about our records, you may contact the FOI officer at foi@sipo.ie
To request records held by the Standards Commission, please write to us saying that you are making a request under the FOI Act 2014.
You should address your request to the FOI Officer, Standards in Public Office Commission, 6 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2 D02 W773, or send an email to foi@sipo.ie
Your letter should:
1. Refer to the FOI Act
2. Give as much information as possible about the records you are looking for
3. Say whether the records requested are personal or non-personal
4. Say how you would like to get copies of the record or if you want another form of access
If you are looking for a record, you should provide as much information as possible. If you want it in a particular format, such as a photocopy, transcript, computer disk; or you want to examine it, state this clearly in your request.
If you want to amend a record, you should identify the record concerned, give details of the amendment required and give evidence that the change is necessary.
The FOI Act says the public (FOI) body should help you if you are looking for a record under the Act. It specifically says that if you have a disability, you should be given assistance. In addition, we may contact you to clarify your request with you.
In some cases fees are charged under the FOI Act 2014. There is no fee for making an initial FOI request. An internal review costs €30, or €10 if you have a medical card. You may pay by cheque, bank draft or postal order.
We may also charge you for the time we spend finding the records you are looking for, and for any photocopying costs that arise following the search. These costs are very unlikely to arise in the case of personal information. You cannot be charged for the time we spend deciding on your request.
Once the Commission receives a request we have up to four weeks to decide. The decision will be sent to you in writing and will say whether your request is being granted, part-granted or refused and will give you the reason or reasons for the decision.
If you are unhappy with the decision or if, after the four weeks, you have not received a decision (this is called a refusal to your FOI request by non-reply), your next step is to apply for an “internal review”.
An “internal review” is our appeals mechanism which will be carried out by someone more senior to the person who made the decision on your original request. To request an internal review, you must write to us referring to the decision you were given (if there was one) and saying that you are making an internal review appeal. You cannot raise any further issues in your appeal – the purpose of the review is for another officer to reconsider the decision on your original request only. We have three weeks to decide on your request for an internal review.