Freedom Of Information (FOI)
Freedom of Information - Introduction
The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000 and Environmental Information Regulations (EIRs) 2004 provide a right to request information held by public bodies. This page summarises the information access rights under the FOI Act and the EIRs and outlines the statutory requirment to have a Publication Scheme.
The Freedom if Information Act 2000 (the "Act") and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (the "Regulations") came into force on 1st January 2005. The legislation applies to public authorities and establishes new information access rights to everyone and a statutory duty to make public information available through a Publication Scheme.
Therefore the legislation establishes the right to access "recorded" information and imposes obligations on us to disclose information, subject to a range of exemptions and exceptions.
Individuals already have the right to access information about themselves under the Data Protection Act 1998. This includes electronically held information and some information in paper files. This is known as the "subject access right". The FOI Act extends this right to allow public access to all types of information we hold
- Better Regulation and Simplification Review
- DARD Presentations
- Exports from Northern Ireland
- Freedom Of Information (FOI)
- Imports into Northern Ireland
- Other European Union Issues
- Renewable Energy Action Plan
